Helot is a native of Messenia and Laconia. Each of them was conquered by the Dorians and was a slave of the Spartan state.
Who are helots
The Greek tribes of the Dorians, who came from the Balkan Peninsula, made slaves of the population of the Greeks living in this area, and took the lands that gave a good harvest for themselves. Oddly enough, there were fewer conquerors than the indigenous population, which was conquered. They all settled together on the river Evros, where the city of Sparta was formed. The conqueror began calling himself a Spartan, and a helot is a local resident whom he captured.
In Athens, after the reforms of Solon, all the slaves were foreigners, that is, not of Greek origin. And the helot is the same Greek. And he spoke the same language with the Spartan. Therefore, this state of affairs caused dissatisfaction of the demos throughout Greece, since then it was believed that only foreigners could be slaves, but by no means Greeks.
Place of Helots in Sparta
The land captured by the Spartans was divided among their families. Each of them received approximately the same plots, which were called cleres (or clares in Dorian). However, the family did not have the right to donate or sell them. Ownership of a clerk is an essential sign of civil rights for a group of ruling Spartans.
Helots in the Spartan state were, as mentioned earlier, slaves and therefore they worked and lived on land owned by the Spartans, who in turn were only engaged in military affairs.
Helots lived in small villages located throughout the country. They were engaged in the cultivation of bread and vegetables, olives, grapes, and also raised cattle, brought to Sparta all the necessary products for the Spartans.
Helots paid the owner of the plot on which they lived in kind quitrent, which was a certain amount of agricultural products. This same quitrent was, according to approximate estimates, about half of the total harvest. A law was passed, which stated that the owner of the land had no right to take more than the established norm.
Helot is "captured" in Greek. These people were not given the right to freely move around the country that previously belonged to their ancestors. However, they could start families and were paid for their work. Each of the helots was not the property of any individual Spartan, but of the entire state as a whole. The owner of the plot to which the helots were attached had no right to sell or take their lives.
The Spartans, on the other hand, treated their helot slaves quite cruelly and rudely, mocked them. Their position was quite difficult. Therefore, the helots tried to raise uprisings. To avoid this,the government of Ancient Sparta often carried out kraptii - these are massacres. Destroyed those helots who were the most dangerous or unreliable. This mass extermination of the unarmed population was then considered as pre-war training for young Spartans.
Conclusion
Thus, helots were the lowest class in Ancient Sparta. They were severely limited in their rights when compared with the Spartans. They could not own weapons and serve in the army. The main task of the state was to keep all helots in obedience and fear. However, in the event of hostilities, the helots were obliged to fight on the side of Sparta.
