compare the conditions of the life of a french serf and roman slave

The life of a French serf was certainly better than that of a Roman slave. French serfs were not slaves. Thus, their noble lords could not sell them or separate them from their families. Nor could their nobles kill them. On the other hand, Roman slaves had no rights over themselves. They were entirely at the mercy of their owners. Their owners could buy and sell them and even kill them as punishment.