Megillus:  To be sure.

Athenian:  But may we not also say that the soul of the slave is utterly corrupt, and that no man of sense ought to trust them?  And the wisest of our poets, speaking of Zeus, says: 

’Far-seeing Zeus takes away half the understanding of men whom the day of slavery subdues.’

Different persons have got these two different notions of slaves in their minds—­some of them utterly distrust their servants, and, as if they were wild beasts, chastise them with goads and whips, and make their souls three times, or rather many times, as slavish as they were before;—­and others do just the opposite.

Megillus:  True.

Cleinias:  Then what are we to do in our own country, Stranger, seeing that there are such differences in the treatment of slaves by their owners?

Athenian:  Well, Cleinias, there can be no doubt that man is a troublesome animal, and therefore he is not very manageable, nor likely to become so, when you attempt to introduce the necessary division of slave, and freeman, and master.

Cleinias:  That is obvious.

Athenian:  He is a troublesome piece of goods, as has been often shown by the frequent revolts of the Messenians, and the great mischiefs which 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 a loss.  Two remedies alone remain to us,—­not to have the slaves of the same country, nor if possible, speaking the same language (compare Aris.  Pol.); in this way they will more easily be held in subjection:  secondly, we should tend them carefully, not only out of regard to them, but yet more out of respect to ourselves.  And the right treatment of slaves is to behave properly to them, and to do to them, if possible, even more justice than to those who are our equals; for he who naturally and genuinely reverences justice, and hates injustice, is discovered in his 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 is undefiled by impiety and injustice, will best sow the seeds of virtue in them; and this may be truly said of every master, and tyrant, and of every other having authority in relation to his inferiors.  Slaves ought to be punished as they deserve, and not admonished as if they were freemen, which will only make them conceited.  The language used to a servant ought always to be that of a command (compare Arist.  Pol.), and we ought not to jest with them, whether they are males or females—­this is a foolish way which many people have of setting up their slaves, and making the life of servitude more disagreeable both for them and for their masters.

Cleinias:  True.

Athenian:  Now that each of the citizens is provided, as far as possible, with a sufficient number of suitable slaves who can help him in what he has to do, we may next proceed to describe their dwellings.