It is evident from what has been said, that a herile and a political government are not the same, or that all governments are alike to each other, as some affirm; for one is adapted to the nature of freemen, the other to that of slaves. Domestic government is a monarchy, for that is what prevails in every house; but a political state is the government of free men and equals. The master is not so called from his knowing how to manage his slave, but because he is so; for the same reason a slave and a freeman have their respective appellations. There is also one sort of knowledge proper for a master, another for a slave; the slave's is of the nature of that which was taught by a slave at Syracuse; for he for a stipulated sum instructed the boys in all the business of a household slave, of which there are various sorts to be learnt, as the art of cookery, and other such-like services, of which some are allotted to some, and others to others; some employments being more honourable, others more necessary; according to the proverb, "One slave excels another, one master excels another:" in such-like things the knowledge of a slave consists. The knowledge of the master is to be able properly to employ his slaves, for the mastership of slaves is the employment, not the mere possession of them; not that this knowledge contains anything great or respectable; for what a slave ought to know how to do, that a master ought to know how to order; for which reason, those who have it in their power to be free from these low attentions, employ a steward for this business, and apply themselves either to public affairs or philosophy: the knowledge of procuring what is necessary for a family is different from that which belongs either to the master or the slave: and to do this justly must be either by war or hunting. And thus much of the difference between a master and a slave.
What has been said makes clear that a master's rule and political government are not the same. Nor are all forms of government alike, as some claim. One suits the nature of free people, the other the nature of slaves. Household government is a monarchy, since every household is ruled by one person. But political government is the rule of free and equal people. A master is called a master because of his status, not because he knows how to manage a slave. For the same reason, slaves and free people are named according to their status. There is also one kind of knowledge proper to a master and another proper to a slave. A slave's knowledge resembles what a slave at Syracuse taught. For an agreed fee, he trained boys in all the duties of a household slave. These duties include various skills to be learned, such as cooking and other similar services. Some duties are assigned to some slaves, and others to others. Some tasks are more honorable, while others are more necessary. As the proverb says, "One slave excels another, one master excels another:" a slave's knowledge consists of skills like these. A master's knowledge consists in knowing how to use his slaves properly. For mastery over slaves consists in using them, not merely possessing them. Yet this knowledge contains nothing great or worthy of respect. Whatever a slave must know how to do, a master must know how to order. For this reason, those who can avoid these lowly concerns employ a steward to handle them. They devote themselves instead to public affairs or philosophy. Knowing how to acquire what a household needs differs from the knowledge proper to either a master or a slave. To acquire these necessities justly must involve either war or hunting. So much, then, for the difference between a master and a slave.