Page:The History of Slavery and the Slave Trade.djvu/51

 Athenians at sea, was one of this class, and was raised for his valor to the rank of citizen." Lycurgus laid much less stress on birth and blood, than on that steadiness and patience of toil, which are the first qualities of a soldier. Whoever from childhood upward gave proof of these, "by submitting without a murmur to the rigorous trial he enjoined on the youth of Sparta, was elevated in the end to the rank of a citizen; while they who shrunk from the severity of his discipline, even though they had descended from royal blood, sunk into a state of degradation, or were even confounded with the Helots.

The Thessalians denominated Penestæ, not those who were born in servitude, but persons who were made captives in war. In Crete, the servile caste was divided into many classes: first, those of the cities, who were "bought with gold," as their name implied, and were doubtless barbarians; second, those of the country, who were bound to the estates of the landed gentry; these were the aboriginal tribes reduced to servitude by their foreign conquerors. In condition they resembled the Helots. Thirdly, there existed in every state in Crete, a class of public bondsmen, who cultivated the public lands, upon what conditions is not exactly known. They were sufficiently numerous and powerful to inspire their masters with dread, as is evident by the regulation which excluded them from the gymnasia, and prohibited the use of arms.

In the city of Cydonia during certain festivals of Hermes, the slaves were left masters of the place, into which no free citizen had permission to enter; and if he infringed this regulation, they had the power to chastise him with whips. In other parts of Crete, customs similar to those of the Roman Saturnalia prevailed; for, while the slaves in the Hermæan festival were carousing and taking their ease, their lords, in the guise of domestics, waited upon them at table, and performed in their stead all other menial offices. Something of the same kind took place during the month Gerœestion, at Trœzen, where the citizens feasted their slaves on one particular day of the great annual festival, and played at dice with them. Among the Babylonians we find a similar custom; for, during the Sacæan festival, which lasted five days, the masters waited on their slaves, one of whom, habited in a royal robe, enacted the part of king.

It is stated that the condition and treatment of the Cretan serfs, were better than in any other Doric state; and that the Periœci of Crete never revolted against their masters.

The serfs of the Syracusans were so exceedingly numerous that their numbers became a proverb. They would seem to have dwelt chiefly in the country. [n process of time their multitude inspired them with courage; they assaulted and drove out their masters, and retained possession of Syracuse.

Respecting the servile classes in other Grecian states, our information is scanty. The corresponding class among the Arcadians is said to have amounted to three hundred thousand in number. Their treatment was probably more lenient than in some other parts of Greece, as at public festivals we find them sitting at the same table, eating the same food, and drinking from the same cup with their masters.