Helots - Revision history

Irlandos at 19:24, November 9, 2005

2005-11-09T19:24:52Z

Irlandos at 19:24, November 9, 2005

2005-11-09T19:24:17Z

Irlandos at 13:35, November 9, 2005

2005-11-09T13:35:27Z

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'''Helots''' were [[Peloponnesia]]n [[Greece|Greeks]] who were enslaved under [[Sparta]]n rule.

The first helots were [[Laconia]]ns that Sparta defeated and conquered. The etymology is uncertain -- there have been numerous suggestions -- but the likeliest explanation is a relation to the root *ἑλ- (cf., ἁλίσκομαι "to be captured"). Sparta conquered [[Messenia]] around [[640 BC]]–[[620 BC]]; the enslaved Messenians formed the bulk of the helots.

Helots lived in their master's household but were owned by the state; unlike ordinary slaves, their master could not declare them free. They served as agricultural and domestic slaves, and sometimes military servants as well. Spartans usually allowed agricultural helots, the backbone of Lacedomanian agricultural production, to keep excess produce.

The helots outnumbered the Spartans by some unknown ratio, most probably in excess of a typical ration between normal chattel slaves and freemen in other Greek communities. [[Herodotus]] reports (Book IX, 10) that seven helots accompanied each Spartan hoplite to the battle of Plataia in 479 but this figure is often doubted by modern scholars. Fearing rebellion, the Spartans continually kept themselves militarily prepared to crush any uprising, and hesitated to join military campaigns far from Sparta. An annual ritual pillaging by adolescent Spartans, known as the [[Crypteia|Krypteia]], also served to keep the Helots in line. According to [[Aristotle]], the Spartan [[ephor]]s annually redeclared war against the Helots to justify the use of force against them.

In wartime helots served as light infantry and as rowers in ships. During the [[Peloponnesian War]] they also fought as [[heavy infantry]], and helots who excelled in battle could earn their freedom. Some 2000 were freed and reputedly later assassinated.

==External Links==
*[http://www.livius.org Livius], [http://www.livius.org/so-st/sparta/helots.html Helots] by Jona Lendering

[[Category:Ancient Greece]]
[[Category:Sparta]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:24, November 9, 2005
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−	'''Helots''' were [[~~Peloponnesia~~]]n [[Greece\|Greeks]] who were enslaved under [[Sparta]]n rule.	+	'''Helots''' were [[Peloponnesus\|Peloponnesian]] [[Greece\|Greeks]] who were enslaved under [[Sparta]]n rule.

	The first helots were [[Laconia]]ns that Sparta defeated and conquered. The etymology is uncertain -- there have been numerous suggestions -- but the likeliest explanation is a relation to the root *ἑλ- (cf., ἁλίσκομαι "to be captured"). Sparta conquered [[Messenia]] around [[640 BC]]–[[620 BC]]; the enslaved Messenians formed the bulk of the helots.		The first helots were [[Laconia]]ns that Sparta defeated and conquered. The etymology is uncertain -- there have been numerous suggestions -- but the likeliest explanation is a relation to the root *ἑλ- (cf., ἁλίσκομαι "to be captured"). Sparta conquered [[Messenia]] around [[640 BC]]–[[620 BC]]; the enslaved Messenians formed the bulk of the helots.

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 The helots outnumbered the Spartans by some unknown ratio, most probably in excess of a typical ration between normal chattel slaves and freemen in other Greek communities.  [[Herodotus]] reports (Book IX, 10) that seven helots accompanied each Spartan hoplite to the battle of Plataia in 479 but this figure is often doubted by modern scholars. Fearing rebellion, the Spartans continually kept themselves militarily prepared to crush any uprising, and hesitated to join military campaigns far from Sparta. An annual ritual pillaging by adolescent Spartans, known as the [[Crypteia|Krypteia]], also served to keep the Helots in line. According to [[Aristotle]], the Spartan [[ephor]]s annually redeclared war against the Helots to justify the use of force against them.
-In wartime helots served as light infantry and as rowers in ships. During the [[Peloponnesian War]] they also fought as [[heavy infantry]], and helots who excelled in battle could earn their freedom. Some 2000 were freed and reputedly later assassinated.
+In wartime helots served as light infantry and as rowers in ships. During the [[Peloponnesian War]] they also fought as heavy infantry, and helots who excelled in battle could earn their freedom. Some 2000 were freed and reputedly later assassinated.
 ==External Links==