helots
The Helots made up 80% of the population and were considered downtrodden. Theye were state-owned laborers.
The Spartan state. It allocated the produce of seven serfs (helots) to each Spartan male citizen, which freed them from farming and allowed them to concentrate on military training.
The helots were a subjugated population in ancient Sparta, primarily consisting of the indigenous people of Laconia and Messenia. They were bound to the land and worked as agricultural laborers, providing food and resources for the Spartan citizens. Unlike slaves, they were not owned by individuals but were collectively controlled by the state, allowing Spartans to focus on military training and governance. The relationship between Spartans and helots was marked by oppression, and there were frequent uprisings due to their harsh treatment.
Helots were crucial to Sparta's society as they provided the agricultural labor that allowed Spartan citizens to focus on military training and governance. As state-owned serfs, they worked the land and produced food, enabling Sparta to sustain its powerful army without diverting its citizens from their military duties. This reliance on helots also fostered a system of social control and fear, as the Spartans maintained strict oversight to prevent revolts. Overall, the helots were integral to Sparta's military-centric way of life and its dominance in ancient Greece.
On the limited fertile land which they individually owned, within their city-state.
No, laborers are not classified as slaves. Laborers are individuals who are employed to perform work in exchange for wages or other forms of compensation. Slavery involves forced labor where individuals are owned or controlled by others and have no freedoms or rights.
Slaves in the city-state of Sparta were primarily known as "helots." They were primarily owned by the state rather than individual citizens and were mainly responsible for agricultural labor, allowing Spartan citizens to focus on military training and governance. Helots were predominantly drawn from the subjugated population of the neighboring region of Messenia, where they were forced into servitude following Spartan conquests. Their status was one of oppression and servitude, and they significantly outnumbered the Spartan citizens.
In ancient Sparta, the ratio of helots (a state-owned serf or slave) to citizens (Spartan free-born males) was estimated to be around 7 to 1. The helots served as a labor force for the citizens, working the land and producing goods. They also outnumbered the citizens significantly, leading to a system of control and fear by the Spartan state.
The social structure of ancient Sparta was highly stratified and primarily divided into three main groups: the Spartiates, the Perioikoi, and the Helots. The Spartiates were the ruling class of full citizens who underwent rigorous military training and were granted political rights. The Perioikoi were free non-citizens who lived in surrounding areas, engaging in trade and crafts, while the Helots were state-owned serfs who worked the land and served the Spartiates, often facing harsh treatment and oppression. This rigid hierarchy reinforced Sparta's militaristic and communal values, prioritizing strength and discipline.
In ancient Greece, the theaters were owned by the city-state, whether the Theater of Delphi or the Theater of Dionysus.
Large estates in Ancient Rome, owned by patricians, were called latifundia.
Sparta (win) Sparta was unique in ancient Greece for its social system and constitution, which completely focused on military training and excellence. Its inhabitants were classified as Spartiates (Spartan citizens, who enjoyed full rights), Mothakes (non-Spartan free men raised as Spartans), Perioikoi (freedmen), and Helots (state-owned serfs, enslaved non-Spartan local population). Spartiates underwent the rigorous agoge training and education regimen, and Spartan phalanxes were widely considered to be among the best in battle. Spartan women enjoyed considerably more rights and equality to men than elsewhere in the classical world. Sparta was the subject of fascination in its own day, as well as in the West following the revival of classical learning. Sparta continues to fascinate Western Culture; an admiration of Sparta is called laconophilia