Slavery. Free labour 35 



minds of Greece in later years, when the political failure of the Greek 

 states had diverted men's thoughts to problems concerning the indi- 

 vidual. For the present slavery was taken for granted, but it is 

 evident that the seeds of future doubt had been sown. Among the 

 stray utterances betraying uneasiness is the oft-quoted saying 1 of the 

 sophist Alcidamas ' god leaves all men free : nature makes no man a 

 slave.' The speaker was contemporary with Euripides, whose sayings 

 are often in much the same tone, if less direct. A remarkable passage 

 is that in which he makes Heracles repudiate 2 the myths that repre- 

 sent slavery as existing among the gods. No god that is a real god 

 has any needs, and such tales are rubbish an argument that was 

 destined to reappear later as bearing upon slavery among men, 

 particularly in connexion with the principles of the Cynic school. 



I have said enough as to the point of view from which the 

 questioners, such as Euripides, regarded slavery. It is somewhat 

 surprising that the poet's references to hired labour 3 are very few, 

 and all of a depressing kind, treating Oyreveiv as almost or quite 

 equivalent to Sov\evew. The references or allusions to handicrafts 

 are hardly to the point : such men are doubtless conceived as OfjTes, 

 but they would generally direct themselves in virtue of their trade- 

 skill : they are not hired ' hands.' Herdsmen often appear, but 

 generally if not always they seem to be slaves or serfs. Nor is it 

 clear that the digger (ff/cafavs) is free ; he is referred to 4 as a specimen 

 of the meanest class of labourer. But in three of the plays there 

 occur passages directly descriptive of the poor working farmer, the 

 avrovpybs of whom I have spoken above. In the Electra, the prologue 

 is put in the mouth of the poor but well-born avrovpybs to whom the 

 crafty Aegisthus has given Electra in marriage. The scene between 

 husband and wife is one of peculiar delicacy and interest. The points 

 that concern us here are these. The princess has been united 5 to a 

 poor and powerless freeman. He is fully occupied 6 with the hard 

 labour of his farm, which he apparently cultivates single-handed. He 

 understands the motive of Aegisthus, and shews his respect for 

 Electra by refraining from conjugal rights. She in turn respects his 

 nobility, and shews her appreciation by cheerfully performing 7 the 

 humble duties of a cottar's wife. When the breadwinner (eprydrvis) 

 comes home from toil, he should find all ready for his comfort. He is 

 shocked to see her, a lady of gentle breeding (ev Tedpappevrj) fetch 

 water from the spring and wait upon his needs. But he has to accept 

 the situation : the morrow's dawn 8 shall see him at his labour on the 



1 See Cope's note on Aristotle rhet I 13 2. 



2 Here Fur 1341-6. 3 Alceslis 2, 6. Electra 203-4. Cyclops 76 foil, cf 23-4. 



4 Electra 252. 5 Electra 35-9. 6 ibid 73-4. 7 ibid 75-6. 8 Mid 78-81. 



32 



