Page:The History of Slavery and the Slave Trade.djvu/29

entered their rivers, sailed up into the heart of the country, surprised the Africans is their recesses, and carried them into slavery. The next step which the Europeans found it necessary to take, was that of settling in the country; of securing themselves by fortified posts; of changing their system of force into that of pretended liberality; and of opening, by every species of bribery and corruption, a communication with the natives. Accordingly they erected their forts and factories; landed their merchandize, and endeavored by a peaceable deportment, by presents, and by every appearance of munificence, to allure the attachment and confidence of the Africans. The Portuguese erected their first fort in 1481, about forty years after Alonzo Gonzales had pointed out to his countrymen, as articles of commerce, the southern Africans.

The scheme succeeded. An intercourse took place between the Europeans and Africans, attended with a confidence highly favorable to the views of ambition and avarice. In order to render this intercourse permanent as well as lucrative, the Europeans paid their court to the African chiefs, and a treaty of peace and commerce was concluded, in which it was agreed that the kings, on their part, should sentence prisoners of war, and convicts, to European servitude; and that the Europeans should in return supply them with the luxuries of the north. Thus were laid the foundations of that nefarious commerce, of which, in subsequent chapters, we intend to give the details.^[1]

 

CHAPTER II.

Slavery in Greece. Athenian Slaves.

Early existence of Slavery in Greece. — Proportion of Slaves to Freemen. — Their numbers in Athens and Sparta. — Mild government of Slaves in Athens — the reverse in Sparta. Instances of noble conduct of Slaves towards their masters. — Probable origin of Slavery, prisoners of war. — Examples in history of-whole cities and states being reduced to Slavery: Judea, Miletos, Thebes. — Slaves obtained by kidnapping and piracy. — The traffic supposed to be attended by a curse. — Certain nations sell their own people into Slavery. — Power of masters over their Slaves; the power of Life and Death. — The Chians, the first Greeks who engaged in a regular Slave-trade. — Their fate in being themselves finally reduced to Slavery. — First type of the Maroon wars. — The Chian Slaves revolt. — The hero slave Drimacos. — His history. — Honors paid to his memory. Servile war among the Samians. — Athenian laws to protect Slaves from cruelty. — Slaves entitled to bring an action for assault. — Death penalty for crimes against slaves. Slaves entitled to purchase freedom. — Privileges of Slaves in Athens. — Revolt of Slaves working in Mines. — The temples a privileged sanctuary for Slaves who were cruelly treated. — Tyrannical masters compelled to sell their Slaves. — Slave auctions. — Diogenes. Price of Slaves. — Public Slaves, their employment. — Educated by the State, and intrusted with important duties. — Domestic Slaves: their food and treatment. — The Slaves partake in the general decline of morals. — History and Description of Athens.

In Greece, slavery existed from the earliest period of her history. Before the days of Homer it generally prevailed. The various states of Greece had

1. Slavery and Commerce of the Human Species: Encyclopedia Britt.: Antiquities of Greece and Rome.