Gaius S. answered 04/11/20
Ph.D. in Classical History with 23 years of teaching experience
As a general rule, scholars assume that the population of the Roman Republic from 150 BC to the end was about one third slave. A good many slaves were set free and enrolled by their owners as citizens, while the number of slaves was regularly replenished by warfare. However, this is only a guess. Finlay and Scullard probably comment on this.