The helots were in a sense state slaves, bound to the soil and assigned to individual Spartans to till their holdings ; their masters could neither free them nor sell them, and the helots had a limited right to accumulate property, after paying to their masters a fixed proportion of the produce of the holding. ...
What Spartans did to helots?
Helots were ritually mistreated , humiliated and even slaughtered: every autumn the Spartans would declare war on the helots so they could be killed by a member of the Crypteia without fear of religious repercussion. Uprisings and attempts to improve the lot of the helots did occur, such as the Conspiracy of Cinadon.
Why were helots important to Sparta?
The people of Messene were taken hostage as slaves or helots and were used to farm the lands they had once possessed. The helots’ work helped to make Sparta a wealthy city , and in time they became trusted members of Spartan families. ... Helots could also seek their freedom by volunteering for military engagements.
What role did helots play in the Spartan economy?
Helots were servile agricultural workers who supported Spartan full citizens, called Spartiates or Homoioi ‘peers’ , freeing them from working or managing property. ... The foundation of the Spartan social system lay in the kleroi ‘allotments’, that comprised arable land and the helots to cultivate it.
Why did the Spartans rely on the helots as slaves?
Because Spartan men were expected to serve in the army until the age of 60, Sparta had to rely on slaves and noncitizens to produce the goods it lacked . Conquered villagers became slaves, called helots. The helots were allowed to live in their own villages, but they had to give much of the food they grew to Sparta.
Who did Sparta enslave?
A nation of slaves whose only purpose was to serve their masters? They were the helots , the subjugated and conquered people, the slaves of Sparta. Nobody knows exactly what the term “Helot” actually means. Some say it came from the village called Helos that was conquered by the angry Spartans.
Did Spartans throw babies off cliffs?
The Greek myth that ancient Spartans threw their stunted and sickly newborns off a cliff was not corroborated by archaeological digs in the area, researchers said Monday. ... “It is probably a myth, the ancient sources of this so-called practice were rare, late and imprecise,” he added.
What is Sparta called today?
Sparta, also known as Lacedaemon, was an ancient Greek city-state located primarily in the present-day region of southern Greece called Laconia .
What are three facts about Sparta?
- Boys were encouraged to steal food. ...
- Spartan men were required to stay fit and ready to fight until the age of 60.
- The term “spartan” is often used to describe something simple or without comfort.
- The Spartans considered themselves to be direct descendents of the Greek hero Hercules.
What caused the fall of Sparta?
This decay occurred because Sparta’s population declined, change in values, and stubborn preservation of conservatism . Sparta ultimately surrendered its position as ancient Greece’s preeminent military power.
Did Sparta have a strong economy?
Sparta’s economy relied on farming and conquering other people . Sparta didn’t have enough land to feed its entire population, so Spartans took the land they needed from their neighbors. Because Spartan men spent their lives as warriors, Sparta used slaves and noncitizens to produce needed goods.
What did Sparta value most?
The Spartans valued discipline, obedience, and courage above all else. Spartan men learned these values at an early age, when they were trained to be soldiers. Spartan women were also expected to be strong, athletic, and disciplined.
What did the slaves do in Sparta?
Slaves in Sparta worked on their lands and produced agricultural products for their masters . They lived in their home country and did not have to work at the homes of their masters. In times of an emergency, the slaves had to serve as light-armed troops.
What race are helots?
Helot, a state-owned serf of the ancient Spartans . The ethnic origin of helots is uncertain, but they were probably the original inhabitants of Laconia (the area around the Spartan capital) who were reduced to servility after the conquest of their land by the numerically fewer Dorians.
Where did Greek slaves come from?
The Athenian slaves belonged to two groups. They were either born into slave families or were enslaved after they were captured in wars. Q: How did people become slaves in ancient Greece? People became slaves in ancient Greece after they were captured in wars.
Did Athens and Sparta have slaves?
In Sparta, there were state-owned slaves called helots . ... In Athens, the lives of slaves were somewhat better. Slaves were privately owned in Athens, and each new slave was welcomed into the family with a ceremony. Slaves in Athens often worked with free citizens, although they were not paid.
