THE HISTORY OF THE MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF ANCIENT GREECE. BOOK V. CHAPTER VII. SLAVES. IT will have been remarked, that both in town and country, the mean and painful drudgery was chiefly performed by slaves, whose origin, condition, and numbers, in the principal Grecian states, it now becomes necessary to describe. The greatest writers of antiquity were on this subject perplexed and undecided. They appear to have comprehended the full extent of the evil,3 but to have been too much the slaves themselves of habit and prejudice to discover, that no form or modification of 2 servitude is consistent with human happiness or with justice, without which no happiness can be. This is evident from the conversation in Crete between Plato and his Gnosian and Spartan companions. They do not trouble their minds with inquiries respecting the origin of slavery, which, while some tribes of men are stronger and more civilised than others, could never be difficult to be conjectured; but considering its existence easy to be accounted for, they are concerned to discover by what means may be avoided or mitigated the mischiefs they everywhere saw accompanying it. Most perplexing of all, however, was the Laconian Heloteia; because in that case the comparatively great number of the servile caste rendered it necessary, in the opinion of some, to break their spirit and bring them down to their condition by a system of severity which constitutes the infamy of Sparta. The discredit, however, of subsisting on slave labour was to a certain extent shared by all the states of Greece, even by Athens. They appear to have supposed that no slaves, no body politic. But in the treatment of those unfortunate men there was as much variation as from the differences of national character might have been inferred. The Athenians in this respect, as in most others, being the antipodes of the Spartans, and falling into the error, if such a thing can be conceived, of extreme humanity and indulgence. It is no doubt possible by kindness to obliterate many of the ugly features of slavery, so that between the vassal and his lord strong mutual affection may spring up.3 We hear, accordingly, of 1 Cf. Plat. de Legg. vi. t. vii. p. 460. 2 Even no house according to Aristot. Polit. i. 3. Stob. Floril. Tit. 62. 44. 3 Herodes Atticus, for instance, lamented the death of his slaves as if they had been his relations, and erected statues to their memory in woods, or fields, and beside fountains. Philost. Vit. Soph. ii. 10. Among respectable slaves slaves whose love for their masters exceeded the love of brothers, or of children; they have toiled, fought, died, for them; nay they have sometimes surpassed them in courage, and taught them, in situations of imminent danger, how to die, as in the case of that military attendant, who, when taken prisoner with his master, and seeing him resolved on death, yet hesitating about the means, dashed his brains out against the wall to show him how it might be done. Another example is recorded of a slave who put on the disguise of his lord, that he might be slain in his stead. But what then? Do these examples prove that in servitude there is anything ennobling? On the contrary, the only inference to be drawn from them is, that in these cases great and worthy souls had been dealt with unjustly by fortune. However, since none but the incorrigibly base can now be found to advocate this worst of all human vices, I may spare my arguments, and proceed at once to trace the history of slavery in Greece. In very remote ages mankind, according to tradition, dispensed with the labours of domestic slaves,2 it was thought disgraceful to drink when the family was in trouble. Vict. Var. Lect. viii. 4. A striking example of the affection produced by good usage is mentioned by Libanius: "Sed, ut intelligas," says the sophist, writing to Uranius, "quam fidum habeas ser"vum, quæsivi ego tunc otiosus, "cur, præter ejus generis homi"num, consuetudinem tanta fide "res tuas curaret? Is vero mihi "graviter sapientissimèque res"pondit se novum quoddam fidis"simæ servitutis genus excogi"tare oportuisse, quoniam he"rum habeat nomine, re vero "fratrem, cum quo eundem ci“ bum caperet, idem vinum bi« beret, a quo non modo vapula "ret, sed ne malum quidem un"quam aliquid audiret," Epistol. i. 16. Lat. ed J. C. Wolf. p. 739. a. 1 Plato, de Legg. vi. t. vii. p. 460. 2 In old times there were neither Manes nor Sekis: the women did everything. Athen. vi. 83. Cf. Herod. vi. 137. Of these early periods, however, few records remain, for as soon as the Greeks appear upon the stage of history they are attended by slaves. On this account Philo Judæus admires the Argonauts, who on their celebrated expedition forewent the aid of servile labour: ἄγαμαι καὶ τῶν ̓Αργοναυτῶν, οἱ σύμπαν ἀπέφηναν ἐλεύθερον τὸ whose place was supplied by the women of the family,' who rose before day to grind corn for the household; and as they usually sang while thus engaged, the whole village on such occasions would seem alive with music. As in the East, also, they were accustomed to draw water from the wells, or seek it at a distance at the fountains, as I have already, in speaking of the Hellenic women, observed. But as soon as men began to give quarter in war, and became possessed of prisoners, the idea of employing them, and rendering their labours subservient to their maintenance naturally suggested itself. At the outset, therefore, as a very distinguished historian has remarked, servitude sprung from feelings of humanity; for when it was found that advantages could be derived from captured enemies they were no longer butchered in the field. Hence, from the verb signifying "to be subdued," they were denominated Dmöes ;3 for "of whom a man is 2 |