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OF THE THIRD VOLUME.

COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY.

THE HISTORY

OF THE

MANNERS AND CUSTOMS

OF ANCIENT GREECE.

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, but to have been too much the slaves themselves of habit and prejudice to discover, that no form or modification of 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.

Footnote 1:

On the state of domesticity in modern times, see the interesting work by Monsieur Gr?goire, Sur la Domesticit?, p. 3, sqq.

Footnote 2:

Cf. Plat. de Legg. t. viii. p. 38.

Footnote 3:

Thus Metrodoros:--?????? ????????? ??? ?????, ??? ??? ??. Stob. Florileg. Tit. 62. 44.

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.

Footnote 4:

Cf. Plat. de Legg. vi. t. vii. p. 460.

Footnote 5:

Even no house according to Aristot. Polit. i. 3. Stob. Floril. Tit. 62. 44.

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. We hear, accordingly, of 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.

Footnote 6:

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 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 servum, quaesivi ego tunc otiosus, cur, praeter ejus generis hominum, consuetudinem tanta fide res tuas curaret? Is vero mihi graviter sapientissim?que respondit se novum quoddam fidissimae servitutis genus excogitare oportuisse, quoniam herum habeat nomine, re vero fratrem, cum quo eundem cibum caperet, idem vinum biberet, ? quo non modo vapularet, sed ne malum quidem unquam aliquid audiret," Epistol. i. 16. Lat. ed J. C. Wolf. p. 739. a.

Footnote 7:

Plato, de Legg. vi. t. vii. p. 460.

In very remote ages mankind, according to tradition, dispensed with the labours of domestic slaves, 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 Dm?es; for "of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage." Of these constant mention is made in Homer. Thus Telemachos speaks of the Dm?es whom his father had left in his charge; and Agamemnon detained in his tent a number of Lesbian women taken captive in war. In the same condition was Brise?s: and to this fate Hector fears Andromache may be reserved after his death.

Footnote 8:

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 Judaeus admires the Argonauts, who on their celebrated expedition forewent the aid of servile labour: ?????? ??? ??? ??????????, ?? ?????? ???????? ????????? ?? ???????, ?????? ???? ??? ??? ????????? ????????? ?????????? ??????, ??????? ?????????? ?????????? ?? ?? ???? ??????????? Lib. quisq. virt. Stud. t. ii. p. 467. ed. Mangey.

Footnote 9:

In later times, however, this laborious task devolved upon female slaves. "Gottlieb Fischer ?tablit, par des preuves multipli?es, que chez les Egyptiens, les Babyloniens, les Perses, les Arabes, les Grecs, les Romains, ce travail ?toit ordinairement le partage des femmes esclaves. L'invention des moulins ? eau fut pour elles l'?poque d'une joie universelle, dont le po?te Antipater se rendit l'interpr?te par une pi?ce arriv?e jusqu'? nous: Femmes occup?es a moudre, ne fatiguez plus vos bras, dormez la longue matin?e ... C?r?s a ordonn? aux nymphes de remplacer l'ouvrage de vos mains, etc." Gr?goire de la Domesticit?, p. 7.

Footnote 10:

Mitford, Hist, of Greece, i. 405.""See on this subject, Grotius de Jur. Bell. et Pac. iii. 14. Rousseau's Contrat Social, i. 4.

Footnote 11:

????? dicti ???? ????????, ? domando, Feith. Antiq. Hom. ii. 20. p. 180. Horn. Odyss. ?. 299.

Footnote 12:

Footnote 13:

Odyss. ?. 398. Iliad. ?. 128, seq. ?. 689, sqq. ?. 193. Virg. AEneid. iii. 326, seq.

Possibly the practice was borrowed from the East, where the mention of slaves occurs in the remotest ages. Thus too in later times, Atossa, queen of Persia, is represented to have urged Darius into the Grecian war, that she might possess Athenian, Spartan, Argive, and Corinthian slaves. And the Pythoness foretelling the destruction of Miletus, exclaims:

"And of a numerous long-haired race thy wives shall wash the feet."

Footnote 14:

Herod, iii. 134. ???????? observes the queen, ??? ???? ???????????, ???????? ?? ??? ???????? ?????????? ??? ??????? ??? ??????? ??? ?????????. The same thing is related by AElian ; but it is probable that Herodotus was the authority on which he based his narrative.

Footnote 15:

Herod, vi. 19.

The practice was when a number of prisoners had been taken, to make a division of them among the chiefs, generally by lot, and then to sell them for slaves. This Achilles boasts he had frequently done, and old Priam fears will be the destiny of his own sons, as it had been of Lycaon whom the Thessalian hero had seized in his garden. To the same purpose is the lament of Hecuba, who accuses him of having reduced many of her sons to slavery. Examples occur in antiquity of whole cities and states being at once subjected to servitude: thus the inhabitants of Judea were a first and a second time carried away captive to Babylon, where their masters, not perhaps from mockery, required of them to sing for their entertainment some of their national songs, to which, as we learn from the prophet, they replied: "How can we sing the songs of Zion in a strange land?" The citizens likewise of Miletos, after the unsuccessful revolt of Aristagoras, were transported into Persia, as were those also of Eretria and Carystos in Euboea. Like the Israelites, these Greeks long preserved in captivity their national manners and language, though surrounded by strangers and urged by every inducement to assimilate themselves to their conquerors. A similar fate overtook the inhabitants of Thebes, who were sold into slavery by Alexander, as were those of Mycene by the Argives, and the Corinthians by Mummius.

Footnote 16:

Eurip. Troad. 30, sqq.

Footnote 17:

Feith, Antiq. Horn. p. 181.

Footnote 18:

Iliad. ?. 102. ?. 751, seq.

Footnote 19:

Herod, vi. 20, 119.

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