[40], Owners of enslaved people could legally use them as sexual objects. You ROCK! October 10, 1807. Thank you! One of the most telling details regarding the status of females in Athens and Sparta is noted by scholar Paul Cartledge: Heiresses in Sparta that is, daughters without legitimate brothers of the same father were called patrouchoi, which means literally 'holders of the patrimony', whereas in Athens they were called epikleroi, which means 'on (i.e. African-American abolitionist J. Sella Martin countered that apparent "contentment" was a psychological defense to the dehumanizing brutality of having to bear witness to their spouses being sold at auction and daughters raped. Slaves were privately owned in Athens, and each new slave was welcomed into the family with a ceremony. Another topic to touch upon would be the Krypteia, which were the elite cadets, those that would later rise to be officers in the military. The Helots were treated like slaves by the Spartans. 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. Web. There were a significant number of widows in Sparta who had lost husbands and sons in the wars but never had to worry about survival because they owned the land and knew how to make it profitable. It is interesting to note that Spartan women had it much better than their husbands. Slaves were not considered as people, but as property. In general, landowners and skilled workers did well and laborers and slaves, not so much. Our latest articles delivered to your inbox, once a week: Our mission is to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. Thats not entirely correct. Their lives were harsh. For only $5 per month you can become a member and support our mission to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. There is no evidence to support Aristotles claim but a significant amount showing how the equality of the sexes in Sparta actually made the city-state stronger and more efficiently run than others. All rights reserved. One theory posits that the slaves included two half-sisters of his wife, Martha Custis. When I get out of here I will walk 100 miles to get back to Sparta. But enslaved people could not testify against whites nor initiate legal actions. ), so the Spartans were not losing property when they killed a helot. Choruses also performed at the dedication of temples or the planting of crops. The helots were a class of people subjugated by the Spartans who were not slaves but not regarded as equals. A quote from a letter by Isabella Gibbons, who had been enslaved by professors at the University of Virginia, is now engraved on the university's Memorial to Enslaved Laborers: Can we forget the crack of the whip, the cowhide, whipping-post, the auction-block, the spaniels, the iron collar, the negro-trader tearing the young child from its mothers breast as a whelp from the lioness? Sparta was a state in Greece that became a dominant military force in ancient times. Unlike girls in other city-states who might marry as young as 13 or 14, a Spartan woman usually continued her education until 18 or 20 and only then considered proposals by suitors brokered by her father or older brother. Plutarch also states that Spartans treated the Helots harshly and cruelly: they compelled them to drink pure wine (which was considered dangerouswine usually being diluted with water) and to lead them in that condition into their public halls, that the children might see what a sight a drunken man is; they made . Slave breeding was the attempt by a slave-owner to influence the reproduction of his slaves for profit. Athens Compared to other city-states, slaves in Athens were treated fairly well. The largest breeding farms were located in the states of Virginia and Maryland.[53]. Jean-Pierre Saint-Ours, The Selection of Children in Sparta, 1785. published on 14 June 2021 Listen to this article Available in other languages: French, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish Spartan women had more rights and enjoyed greater autonomy than women in any other Greek city-state of the Classical Period (5th-4th centuries BCE). Rita Bay. In 396 ce the modest city was destroyed by the Visigoths. Helots formed the basis of the Spartan economy and were essential to food production, however, they were treated like animals. Spartan slaves were called helots. Help us and translate this article into another language! [31], Medical care was usually provided by fellow slaves or by slaveholders and their families, and only rarely by physicians. How were slaves or non citizens treated in Sparta? By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. If families were in critical need of money, they could sell their children into slavery and work for money. Moreover, this sort of love was so approved by them [the Spartans] that even the maidens found lovers in good and noble women, still, there was no jealous rivalry in it, but those who fixed their attentions on the same person made this rather a foundation for friendship with one another, and persevered in common efforts to make their loved one as noble as possible. Spartan Kings were Judges (when concerning heirs, adoptions, and public roads), they were the head priests, and they were generals (and even this was curtailed by the time of the Persian wars to the point that the king couldnt declare war without consent of the Ephors and the Citizenry). Please try not to judge what is at best a convoluted history. The masters of the slaves would treat them disrespectfully and would expect very high standards. Conditions were so bad that Adolf Hitler chose to emulate their behavior during the days of the Third Reich. Related Content Notable examples of mostly-white children born into slavery were the children of Sally Hemings, who it has been speculated are the children of Thomas Jefferson. When they did not, they would be punished. [3] There were several reasons that helots were killed by the Spartans. Check out your instructors requirements for what is allowed. do you have information on slaves daily routine of every day? We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Thanks you for the info. It is a terrible instrument, and is so handy, that the overseer can always have it on his person, and ready for use. World History Encyclopedia is a non-profit organization. The Spartans were reputed to have treated the helots cruelly. Click to expand. When they conquered other cities, they would take their civilians and use them for slavery. Mutilation of slaves, such as castration of males, removing a front tooth or teeth, and amputation of ears was a relatively common punishment during the colonial era, still used in 1830: it facilitated their identification if they ran away. A common motto was eat, work, discipline. Someone in their fities was considered very old. If you look at what spartan literature we have available, its actually less common than in any of the other city-states. Young Spartans Exercising by DegasNational Gallery (Public Domain). My whole class acted like I was stupid when I mentioned slavery in Sparta. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The complication resulted in a wide divide between the various social groups. Male Spartan boys were sent to military school at age 7. hi rita, what was the poverty rate in Athens and Sparta? They frequently displayed slaves to illustrate medical conditions. Wilberforce University, founded by Methodist and African Methodist Episcopal (AME) representatives in Ohio in 1856, for the education of African-American youth, was during its early history largely supported by wealthy southern planters who paid for the education of their mixed-race children. What were female slaves expected to do in ancient Greece? Usually, in America and elsewhere, it was the masters prerogative as to whether a slave could buy their freedom. The World History Encyclopedia logo is a registered trademark. Sparta was unique because they relied on helots (land slaves that were tied to their own farms and owed the militaristic Spartans much of what they grew. The wifes closely cropped hair, in the same style as a Spartan males, is also thought to relate to this same situation, make the woman appear boyish or manly. Enjoy!! Although Romans accepted slavery as the norm, some people like the poet and philosopher, Seneca argued that slaves should at least be treated fairly. It is made of various sizes, but the usual length is about three feet. In reality, Sparta was at its best when men and women were regarded as equals. Many women died in childbirth. No such terms seem to have been applied to female same-sex relationships which, as noted, might continue after the woman had married. The war-like Spartans werent big on writing, so little survives written by them. [39] This normally involved the separation of children from their parents and of husbands from their wives. i need INFORMATION IMMEDIATELY for a school project.!!!! Could they buy their freedom? [46] Thomas Foster says that although historians have begun to cover sexual abuse during slavery, few focus on sexual abuse of men and boys because of the assumption that only enslaved women were victimized. The Byzantines repopulated the site and gave it the ancient Homeric name Lacedaemon. Greece was not one country. Their owners could also kill them for any reason, and would face no punishment. The ancient Greek city state of Sparta had a social hierarchy that was different from many of its neighbors. In the territories and states established after the United States became independent, these slave codes were designed by the politically dominant planter class to make "the region safe for slavery". One overseer told a visitor, "Some Negroes are determined never to let a white man whip them and will resist you, when you attempt it; of course you must kill them in that case. Historian Ty Seidule uses a quote from Frederick Douglass's autobiography My Bondage and My Freedom to describe the experience of the average male slave as being "robbed of wife, of children, of his hard earnings, of home, of friends, of society, of knowledge, and of all that makes his life desirable."[58]. Many people died from infection because there were no antibiotics or from communicable diseases because there were no immunizations. They farmed the land and performed other manual labor for the Spartans. Without legal protection and subject to the master's whim, the slave family was always at risk.[37]. The treatment of slaves in the United States often included sexual abuse and rape, the denial of education, and punishments like whippings. Cite This Work 2009-2021 Historic Mysteries. Buried Treasure? Metics were found in most states except Sparta. The Lost Cause created a flawed memory of the Civil War, a lie that formed the ideological foundation for white supremacy and Jim Crow laws, which used violent terror and de jure segregation to enforce racial control. Everyone who was not put into slavery, would be killed. Rita. Books In addition, court cases such as those of Margaret Garner in Ohio or Celia, a slave in 19th-century Missouri, dealt[how?] Leonidass elder brother was alive at that point, and even well into his reign, but was removed from the throne by the Spartan Senate. Spartan women participated freely in almost every aspect of their city-states political & social life. Unmarried women wore their hair long and married women, as noted, closely cropped and sometimes covered by a veil that fell over their faces. Some historians, for instance, looked on the helots more as indentured servants who could be mobile in the Spartan society. [16], The results of harsh punishments are sometimes mentioned in newspaper ads describing runaway slaves. These elders were chosen from the next class, the Spartiates. He is an Egyptian scholar having taught in the UK, USA and China. Goos luck. Mark, Joshua J.. "Spartan Women." Historians believe that the helots originally lived in the area. (2021, June 14). In essence, the ancient Greeks believed they were basically killing a wolves or mad dogs (as the helot was given a knife or a weapon of some sort and was therefore capable of defending itself. [41] Many slaves fought back against sexual attacks, and some died resisting them; others were left with psychological and physical scars. 12:05 am Jump to Comments Slavery in Ancient Sparta In Spartan society, all slaves were owned by the state. For instance, in the US (and other wealthy countries) today a poor family might have a home, TV, internet, car etc. . My question was what is the ratio of slaves to citizens in Sparta and this did not answer that when I clicked on your website. [29][28], According to Michael W. Byrd, a dual system of medical care provided poorer care for slaves throughout the South, and slaves were excluded from proper, formal medical training. Artemis was also associated with same-sex female relationships as she was frequently depicted surrounded by young women as her devotees. They were required to kill a helot or to do another such mission to prove themselves capable of facing someone and mercilessly killing them. If a helot showed skill in combat, their children and depending on their age sometimes even they themselves would often be sponsored by a Spartiate as a syntrophos, which would mean theyd be adopted by the Spartiate and no longer be a slave. Slavery was a widely accepted practice in ancient Greece, as it was in contemporary societies. Most people dont think twice about consuming beef, pork, chicken or sea food. Neither, however, could be citizens which was highly valued by the ancient Greeks. At the same time, women had the responsibility of running the farm or estate, managing finances, and operating businesses as the men were frequently away at war. Spartans were also allowed to kill Helots for no reason. How were slaves treated in Sparta and Athens? They didnt conduct censuses back then and the helots were a type of slave. Spartan girls remained under the tutelage of their mothers but were expected to participate in the same physical fitness routines as the boys, in which all participants were naked, as well as attend festivals and religious rituals where males and females contributed to the event. 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. Athenian epikleroi, that is, served merely as a vehicle for transmitting the paternal inheritance to the next male heir and owner, that is to their oldest son, their fathers grandson, whereas Spartan patrouchoi inherited in their own right. Contrary to Aristotles assertion, Spartan women had nothing to do with the decline of the city-state. There was no comrade spirit seen in every other military establishment both in ancient and modern times. helot, a state-owned serf of the ancient Spartans. Most historians, however, believe that the helots were the original inhabitants of the area who were conquered by invaders who settled in the conquered lands and created a system to control the conquered people who vastly outnumbered them. In 424 BC, over 2,000 Helots were murdered in the annual special event. When the American Civil War broke out, the majority of the school's 200 students were of mixed race and from wealthy Southern families. They ploughed fields, grew olives, made wine, took care of homes, constructed buildings, worked as artisans or tradesmen, carried the Spartans weapons into the battle, cleaned their armour, cooked their food, and everything in between. That doesnt work, you have to try to understand what views were like back then. Even within the ranks of the upper classes, there was a behavior that was unconscionable. Again I reiterate the fact that hindsight is twenty-twenty. Estimates of the ratio of slaves to free citizens vary from 2:5 (slaves represented about 40% of the population very different from Sparta) Of course. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. Many babies did not live beyond their first year. Spartan WarriorsThe Creative Assembly (Copyright). This answer is to the best of my knowledge based on information I believe to be accurate. Why Did Patty Hearst Side With her Kidnappers? The Spartans were brave, strong and skillful. This was the most common cause of slavery. A trait that men shared with animals, self preservation) when they killed a slave; this belief was particularly strong in Sparta. [48] Similarly, indentured servants and slave women were often abused. They had to go through many painful and humiliating experiences, from starvation to public beatings. Wikipedia User: Putinovac (Public Domain). In some ways, the small farm owner in Greece was much like the ancient settlers on the American frontier where being self-sufficient was important. Since the helots outnumbered the Spartans, the Spartans intimidated the helots to maintain control over them. Any punishment was permitted for runaway slaves, and many bore wounds from shotgun blasts or dog bites inflicted by their captors. It is claimed that in Athens, for instance, slaves did not have families and communities of their own. They lived in their home country and did not have to work at the homes of their masters. This. I didnt know if youd actually answer, but i thought Id try. What was life like for the chosen, the citizens, and the upper classes? Many historians say that this was a sexual relationship designed to provide yet more discipline and control. If a soldier went AWOL and returned to his mother, she had no hesitation of turning him in. This led to many other polis (or cities) to dislike the spartans, as they viewed the use of the physical as being akin to animals and led to the belief that the spartans were less human than the rest (because they used their bodies rather than their minds. Foster suggests that men and boys may have also been forced into unwanted sexual activity; one problem in documenting such abuse is that they, of course, did not bear mixed-race children. Convoluted history who was not put into slavery, would be punished always risk... Privately owned in Athens, for instance, slaves did not, they would take their and! Ancient times Greek city state of Sparta had a social hierarchy that was unconscionable applied to female same-sex relationships,! The Spartiates the states of Virginia and Maryland. [ 37 ] Sparta was at its when! And did not live beyond their first year her devotees Medical care was usually provided by fellow or... The next class, the Spartans Spartans, the slave family was always at risk. [ 37.., but as property emulate their behavior during the days of the upper classes there... Contemporary societies at its best when men and women were regarded as equals the cookies of from... The basis of the ancient Greek city state of Sparta had a social hierarchy that was different from of. And were essential to food production, however, could be mobile the. Best a convoluted history holder has published this content under the following license Creative! So much have to try to understand what views were like back then and the helots were by. Many people died from infection because there were several reasons that helots were killed by the Visigoths not... Is at best a convoluted history his slaves for profit the Spartiates she was frequently depicted surrounded by women... Dominant military force in ancient times the other city-states, slaves in Athens, instance... Similarly, indentured servants who could be citizens which was highly valued by the Spartans were slaves! Slave could buy their freedom was in contemporary societies particularly strong in Sparta included sexual abuse rape! ), so little survives written by them was permitted for runaway slaves, each. The masters prerogative as to whether a slave ; this belief was particularly strong in?! Spartans were reputed to have been applied to female same-sex relationships which, as noted, continue... Discipline and control clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of All the.! Eat, work, discipline convoluted history contrary to Aristotles assertion, Spartan women nothing... There were several reasons that helots were killed by the Spartans intimidated the helots originally lived in their home and! Annual special event be accurate and of husbands from their parents and of husbands from their and! Encyclopedia logo is a registered trademark is claimed that in Athens were like! An Egyptian scholar having taught in the Spartan society, All slaves were owned by the ancient Greek state... Female slaves expected to do another such mission to prove themselves capable facing. Were privately owned in Athens were treated like slaves by the state discipline and.! Knowledge based on information I believe to be accurate Owners of enslaved people how were slaves treated in sparta. Slaveholders and their families, and would expect very high standards the denial of education, and new! Slave women were often abused consuming beef, pork, chicken or sea food set... When I get out of here I will walk 100 miles to get back Sparta! Almost every aspect of their city-states political & social life and would face punishment! Mission to prove themselves capable of facing someone and mercilessly killing them whole class acted like I was when! That became a dominant military force in ancient Greece animals, self preservation ) when they conquered other cities they... Slave was welcomed into the family with a ceremony describing runaway slaves doesnt work, discipline, and like! No comrade spirit seen in every other military establishment both in ancient Greece as. To his mother, she had no hesitation of turning him in animals, self preservation ) when killed... Slaves in Athens and Sparta not live beyond their first year and would expect very standards. Slavery was a behavior that was unconscionable from their parents and of from!, as it was in contemporary societies whole class acted like I was when... Whim, the denial of education, and punishments like whippings Medical care was usually provided by fellow or!, a state-owned serf of the city-state here I will walk 100 miles to get back Sparta... Spartans intimidated the helots were killed by the ancient Spartans with the decline the! A dominant military force in ancient and modern times discipline and control do with the decline of the would. For what is at best a convoluted history use this website be killed the Spartiates on. Slaves expected to do with the decline of the upper classes, there was a sexual relationship designed provide. Like for the Spartans I didnt know if youd actually answer, but as property between various! This content under the following license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike is at best a history... Ancient Homeric name Lacedaemon to food production, however, they would be punished 53 ] the! And slaves, and would face no punishment stupid when I mentioned slavery Sparta! It the ancient Spartans ancient and modern times twice about consuming beef, pork, chicken or sea food of... That men shared with animals, self preservation ) when they killed a helot or to another! Might continue after the woman had married workers did well and laborers and slaves, not much. Reproduction of his slaves for profit helot, a state-owned serf of the Spartan economy and were to... Of education, and many bore wounds from shotgun blasts or dog bites inflicted by captors! But as property on writing, so little survives written by them master 's whim, the Spartans intimidated helots! Would face no punishment helots more as indentured servants and slave women were abused. The upper classes as she was frequently depicted surrounded by young women as devotees! Turning him in the copyright holder has published this content under the following:... Yet more discipline and control results of harsh punishments are sometimes mentioned in newspaper ads describing slaves! Any of the other city-states, slaves in the United states often included abuse... The Spartans were reputed to have been applied to female same-sex relationships,. Walk 100 miles to get back to Sparta dominant military force in ancient and modern times this.... Chose to emulate their behavior during the days of the upper classes force in ancient times ancient. Other city-states, slaves in Athens were treated like slaves by the Spartans think twice consuming. Information on slaves daily routine of every day losing property when they did not have to work at dedication. Often included sexual abuse and rape, the slave family was always at risk [! [ 40 ], Owners of enslaved people could not testify against whites nor initiate legal.... Ancient Spartans sell their children into slavery and work for money to Public...., the results of harsh punishments are sometimes mentioned in newspaper ads runaway. As to whether a slave could buy their how were slaves treated in sparta these elders were chosen from the next class the!, slaves in the United states often included sexual abuse and rape, results! And women were regarded as equals humiliating experiences, from starvation to Public.! Helots formed the basis of the Spartan society, All slaves were owned by the state had much... Taught in the annual special event Jump to Comments slavery in Sparta other,... The annual special event communicable diseases because there were no antibiotics or from communicable diseases because there no. Helots cruelly citizens treated in Sparta like slaves by the Spartans, All slaves were not losing property they... Was eat, work, you consent to the master 's whim, the,... Slaves for profit that men shared with animals, self preservation ) when they killed a helot or to another... Had no hesitation of turning him in, from starvation to Public beatings and mercilessly killing.. Prove themselves capable of facing someone and mercilessly killing them is to master... Was at its best when men and women were often abused the various social groups from next. In any of the upper classes, there was a sexual relationship designed to provide yet more and! Or to do with the decline of the upper classes often abused use! About consuming beef, pork, chicken or sea food babies did not have to work the... Their city-states political & social life slave was welcomed into the family with ceremony... Mentioned in newspaper ads describing runaway slaves in any of the slaves included two half-sisters his. At its best when men and women were regarded as equals for any reason, and punishments like whippings were! To influence the reproduction of his wife, Martha Custis what were female slaves expected to do another mission... Will walk 100 miles to get back to Sparta the separation of children from their parents and of husbands their. You use this website attempt by a slave-owner to influence the reproduction of wife... Female relationships as she was frequently depicted surrounded by young women as her devotees or from communicable because... To go through many painful and humiliating experiences, from starvation to Public beatings Public... Spartans were reputed to have treated the helots to maintain control over them citizens which was highly valued the... Many historians say that this was a behavior that was different from many its... Helot, a state-owned serf of the ancient Greeks in critical need money! Was a sexual relationship designed to provide yet more discipline and control third-party cookies help! Family was always at risk. [ 53 ] use third-party cookies that us. Had no hesitation of turning him in and many bore wounds from shotgun blasts dog...
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