But though occupying so low a grade of society, we have seen that slaves
could rise not only to freedom but become adopted into the patrician
ranks. This privilege might be forfeited and the slave might be again
enslaved without hope of emancipation. There was a mark of the slave
which was put upon him by a _gallabu_, the barber and surgeon. Some
maintain that this mark was a shaving of the head or forelock in a
peculiar way. The slave would thus betray his condition, much as a
convict does. But this would be soon outgrown and the slave mark was
sometimes an irradicable mark; it is referred to as on the arm, and the
surgeon could remove it. So some rather think of a tattooed mark. A
barber might be induced by a fraudulent possessor of a slave to remove
his old slave mark, but if he could be shown to have done this wittingly
he lost his hands. If he could prove his innocence of collusion he was
released on oath, but the fraudulent owner was treated as a
slave-stealer and put to death. If a slave ran away and was caught, his
captor was bound to carry him back to his owner, and was then rewarded
by statute with a payment of two shekels (Sec. 17). If the captor kept him
hidden in his own house and did not give him to the town crier he was
treated as a slave-stealer and put to death (Sec. 15). If the slave broke
away from his captor, the latter had to swear to his non-complicity in
the escape and was then free of blame. The slave was not kept in
confinement as a rule; he might freely go about the city, and was
usually completely trusted to do errands, but he could not leave the
city without his master's consent. If a fugitive slave was captured and
would not name his master, he was to be taken to the palace or
governor's house and there put to the question, and if possible restored
to his owner. If such could not be found, the slave was added to the
public slaves, available for the _corvee_. Harbouring a fugitive slave
was punished with death. The slave when recovered by his master might be
put in chains.