Chapter XXXVII. Of Purchasing Slaves

MOSES in his laws forbade Hebrews to have Hebrews as slaves, and said: ‘If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years shall he serve thee: and in the seventh year thou shalt send him away free.’ [1] And in like manner Plato says in the Republic:

[P] [2] ‘They should therefore themselves own no Greek as a slave, and advise the other Greeks to the same effect.

‘Certainly, said he.

‘Thus then they would be more ready to turn their arms against Barbarians, and abstain from war against each other.’