Usually called the doctor. Or the caretaker.

But I was just translating this bit of Herodotus (though this is from Perseus because my translation isn't quite there yet), and I found it appropriate:

When Cyrus heard from the interpreters what Croesus said, he relented and considered that he, a human being, was burning alive another human being, one his equal in good fortune. In addition, he feared retribution, reflecting how there is nothing stable in human affairs.


Also, I think the point about slave vs. citizen is a rather important point. Citizens are NOT tortured, nor can they ever be, because of their personhood. Slaves were certainly considered untrustworthy as well, but I agree that is not why torture was employed against them. Other citizens were not considered terribly truthful for that matter, and in court cases, one of the parties (at least) is lying. Dehumanizing its object might be the only thing that torture reliably accomplishes.

I feel the need to re-read "The Iliad, or the Poem of Force" now.