=107. Traffic in the Slave Pens.=--It avails not to dwell on the hideous brutality and degrading character of many of the scenes. The slave-dealers were men counted the scum of the earth socially, but the vast gains from lucky speculation in human flesh drove many shrewd scoundrels into the trade. At last Cleander found the stall he desired. Several boys from the Black Sea region were about to be knocked down. They did not seem so very miserable. Truth to tell their barbarous parents had probably sold them in way of regular trade, and the boys looked forward to entering a fine Roman familia as a great adventure. The lads stood in line on raised stones, stripped almost naked and with white chalk on their feet as a token that they were for immediate sale. Cleander and other would-be purchasers examined them as they might so many cattle; felt of their muscles, examined their teeth, and made them converse enough to be sure they could speak fair Greek and a little Latin. Another buying agent was accompanied by a physician to give the proffered merchandise a regular physical examination, and Cleander in his turn interrogated the selling clerks very specifically: “Did they warrant the health of a certain boy, especially his freedom from fits? Was he thievish? Was he prone to run away? Did he get despondent and attempt suicide?”[57] One ill-favored youth was standing with a tall felt hat on his head. That implied he was being sold “as is,” without the least warranty; “An incorrigible thief” went the whisper, and the great welts on his back betrayed repeated whippings. If the sellers failed, however, to “cap” their chattels, they had to answer all queries truthfully, and take back the slave if he developed various defects within six months. Such a liability, however, was hard to enforce. A slave trade involved all the points of shrewdness, hard bargaining, and smooth prevarication of the proverbial horse trade. =108. Sale of Slaves.=--At last a bell rang. A boy whom Cleander had inspected approvingly was stood on a higher block. The glib auctioneer began his patter to the little group before him: “The lad’s clear-skinned and well-favored from head to foot, a well-bred fellow carefully trained for good service. Has a smattering of Greek learning--you can educate him for a secretary if you want to. He can also sing a bit at dinners--not professionally, but enough to make you jolly over your wine.--All this is sheer and simple truth. You’ll wait long for another such bargain. Just one point (with a deprecatory smirk) I am obliged to warn about--once he _did_ have a lazy fit, and hid himself for fear of a lashing,--Well, he’s yours for a mere 8000 sesterces.” [$320.][58]