Page:The History of Slavery and the Slave Trade.djvu/35

 thus become more attached to their masters, who, in return, would put more trust in slaves born and brought up in the house, than in such as were purchased.

We have seen that slaves were protected by the laws from grievous insults and contumely; but if, in spite of legal protection, their masters found means to render their lives a burden, the state provided them with an asylum in the temple of Theseus and the Eumenides. Having there taken sanctuary, their oppressors could not force them thence without incurring the guilt of sacrilege. Thus in a fragment of Aristophaues' Seasons, we find a slave deliberating whether he should take refuge in the Theseion, and there remain until he could procure his transfer to a new master; for any one who conducted himself too harshly towards his slaves, was by law compelled to sell them. Not only so, but the slave could institute an action against his lord and master, or against any other citizen who behaved unjustly or injuriously towards him. The right of sanctuary was, however, limited, and extended from the time of the slave's flight to the next new moon, when a periodical slave auction appears to have been held.

On this occasion the slaves were stationed in a circle in the market place, and the one whose turn it was to be sold, mounted a table, where he exhibited himself and was knocked down to the best bidder. The sales seem to have been conducted precisely like those of the present day in Richmond, Charleston, New Orleans and other cities of the south. The Greek auctioneer, or slave-broker, however, was answerable at law if the quality of the persons sold did not correspond with the description given of them in the catalogue. It appears that, sometimes, when the articles were lively, or witty, they made great sport for the company, as in the case of Diogenes, who bawled aloud — "whoever among yon wants a master, let him buy me."

Diogenes, of Sinope, flourished about the fourth century before Christ, and was the most famous of the Cynic philosophers. Having been banished from his native place with his father, who had been accused of coining false money, he went to Athens, and requested Antisthenes to admit him among his disciples. That philosopher in vain attempted to repel the importunate supplicant, even by blows, and finally granted his request. Diogenes devoted himself, with the greatest diligence, to the lessons of his master, whose doctrines he extended still further. He not only, like Antisthenes, despised all philosophical speculations, and opposed the corrupt morals of his time, but also carried the application of his doctrines, in his own person, to the extreme. The stern austerity of Antisthenes was repulsive; but Diogenes exposed the follies of his contemporaries with wit and humor, and was, therefore, better adapted to be the censor and instructer of the people, though he really accomplished little in the way of reforming them. At the same time, he applied, in its fullest extent, his principle of divesting himself of all superfluities. He taught that a wise man, in order to be happy, must endeavor to preserve himself independent of fortune, of men, and of himself: in order to do this, he must despise riches,