Ath. I am not surprised, Megillus, for the state of the Helots amongthe Lacedaemonians is of all Hellenic forms of slavery the mostcontroverted and disputed about, some approving and some condemningit; there is less dispute about the slavery which exists among theHeracleots, who have subjugated the Mariandynians, and about theThessalian Penestae. Looking at these and the like examples, whatought we to do concerning property in slaves? I made a remark, inpassing, which naturally elicited a question about my meaning fromyou. It was this:-We know that all would agree that we should have thebest and most attached slaves whom we can get. For many a man hasfound his slaves better in every way than brethren or sons, and manytimes they have saved the lives and property of their masters andtheir whole house-such tales are well known.
Meg. To be sure.
Ath. But may we not also say that the soul of the slave is utterlycorrupt, and that no man of sense ought to trust them? And thewisest of our poets, speaking of Zeus, says:
Far-seeing Zeus takes away half the understanding of men whom theday of slavery subdues.
Different persons have got these two different notions of slaves intheir minds-some of them utterly distrust their servants, and, as ifthey were wild beasts, chastise them with goads and whips, and maketheir souls three times, or rather many times, as slavish as they werebefore;-and others do just the opposite.
Meg. True.
Cle. Then what are we to do in our own country, Stranger, seeingthat there are, such differences in the treatment of slaves by theirowners?
Ath. Well, Cleinias, there can be no doubt that man is a troublesomeanimal, and therefore he is not very manageable, nor likely tobecome so, when you attempt to introduce the necessary division,slave, and freeman, and master.
Cle. That is obvious.
Ath. He is a troublesome piece of goods, as has been often shownby the frequent revolts of the Messenians, and the great mischiefswhich happen in states having many slaves who speak the same language,and the numerous robberies and lawless life of the Italian banditti,as they are called. A man who considers all this is fairly at aloss. Two remedies alone remain to us-not to have the slaves of thesame country, nor if possible, speaking the same language; in this waythey will more easily be held in subjection: secondly, we shouldtend them carefully, not only out of regard to them, but yet moreout of respect to ourselves. And the right treatment of slaves is tobehave properly to them, and to do to them, if possible, even morejustice than to those who are our equals; for he who naturally andgenuinely reverences justice, and hates injustice, is discovered inhis dealings with any class of men to whom he can easily be unjust.
And he who in regard to the natures and actions of his slaves isundefiled by impiety and injustice, will best sow the seeds ofvirtue in them; and this may be truly said of every master, andtyrant, and of every other having authority in relation to hisinferiors. Slaves ought to be punished as they deserve, and notadmonished as if they were freemen, which will only make themconceited. The language used to a servant ought always to be that of acommand, and we ought not to jest with them, whether they are males orfemales-this is a foolish way which many people have of setting uptheir slaves, and making the life of servitude more disagreeableboth for them and for their masters.
Cle. True.
Ath. Now that each of the citizens is provided, as far aspossible, with a sufficient number of suitable slaves who can help himin what he has to do, we may next proceed to describe their dwellings.
Cle. Very good.
Ath. The city being new and hitherto uninhabited, care ought to betaken of all the buildings, and the manner of building each of them,and also of the temples and walls. These, Cleinias, were matters whichproperly came before the marriages; but, as we are only talking, thereis no objection to changing the order. If, however, our plan oflegislation is ever to take effect, then the house shall precede themarriage if God so will, and afterwards we will come to theregulations about marriage; but at present we are only describingthese matters in a general outline.
Cle. Quite true.