Page:The History of Slavery and the Slave Trade.djvu/56

 see and handle them, even if they did not wish to purchase them. Purchasers took care to have them stripped, for slave-dealers had recourse to as many tricks to conceal personal defects, as a horse-jockey of modern times. Sometimes purchasers called in the advice of medical men. Slaves of great beauty and rarity were not exhibited to public gaze in the slave market, but were shown to purchasers in private. Newly imported slaves had their feet whitened with paint; and those that came from the East had their ears bored, which was a sign of slavery among many eastern nations.

The slave market, like all other markets, was under the jurisdiction of the ædiles, who made many regulations, by edicts, respecting the sale of slaves. The character of the slave to be sold, was set forth on a scroll, hanging around his neck, which was a warranty to the purchaser; the vendor was bound to announce fairly all his defects, and if he gave a false account, had to take him back, any time within six months after he was sold, or make up to the purchaser what the latter had lost by obtaining an inferior article to what had been warranted. The vendor might, however, use general terms of commendation without being obliged to make them good. The chief points which he had to warrant was the health of the slave, especially freedom from epilepsy, and that he had not a tendency to thieving, running away, or committing suicide. The nation of a slave was considered important, and had to be set forth by the vendor. Slaves sold without any warranty, wore at the time a cap upon then-head. Slaves newly imported were generally preferred for common work; those who had served long were considered artful.

The value of slaves depended of course upon their qualifications; but under the empire, the increase of luxury, and the corruption of morals, led purchasers to pay immense sums for beautiful slaves, or such as ministered to the caprice or whim of the purchaser. Martial speaks of beautiful boys who sold for as much as 100,000 or 200,000 sesterces each; that is, from 4,000 to 8,000 dollars. A morio, or fool, sometimes sold for 20,000 sesterces. Slaves who possessed a knowledge of any art which might bring in profit to their owners, also sold for a large sum. Thus scribes and doctors frequently sold high, and also slaves fitted for the stage, as we see from Cicero's speech in behalf of Roscius. A class of female slaves, who brought in gain to their masters, were also dear. The price of a good ordinary slave, in the time of Horace, was about equal to ninety dollars of our money. In the fourth century, a slave, capable of bearing arms, was valued at 25 aurei, (equal in weight to $125 in gold.) In the time of Justinian, the legal valuation of slaves was as follows: common slaves, both male and female, were valued at 20 solidi, (about $100,) under ten years of age, half that sum; if they were artificers, they were worth fifty per cent, more; if notarii, (short hand writers), they were worth 50 solidi; if medical men or midwives, 60. Female slaves, unless possessed of personal attractions, were generally cheaper than males. Under the republic, and in