What were helots and how were they treated?
Helots were a subjugated population in ancient Sparta, Greece. They were conquered agricultural laborers who were owned by the Spartan state and were obligated to work the land for their Spartan masters.
The treatment of helots was harsh and oppressive. They were considered slaves and were subjected to various forms of control and mistreatment. Helots were treated as property and had no personal rights or freedoms. They were controlled by the Spartan state and were not allowed to own land or participate in political life.
The helots were subjected to a system called krypteia, which involved the killing of disobedient or rebellious helots. This system of state-sanctioned terror was seen as a means of maintaining control over the helot population.
Helots were also regularly subjected to physical abuse and forced labor. They were required to toil in the fields and produce crops for the Spartan society. They were also used as domestic servants and could be made to fight as auxiliary troops in warfare.
Throughout their lives, helots lived in a state of constant oppression and fear. Their ultimate purpose was to serve the needs and interests of the Spartan society, and they had no real prospects for freedom or social mobility.