Control of Helots

Question 1

Krypteia

Answer 1

• Krypteia: ‘period of hiding’ tradition that involved excellent/elite young spartans in Agoge giving them oportunity to prove themselves worthy/demo skills
• Boys roamed countryside living off land, stealing, spying and maintaining order by killing Helots who may pose threat
• These included those who were strong, athletic, or showed leadership or arrogance
• Kept order, toughened boys, taught them to be effective, ruthless fighters

Evidence:

• Plutarch: “They made their way through fields killing the Helots who stood out for their physical strength”
• Thucydides: “Spartan policy is mainly governed by the neccessity of taking precautions againts the helots”
• Cartledge states the aim of the Krypteia “was to murder selected troublemaking helots and spread terror among the rest”

Question 2

Syssition

Answer 2

• The syssitia served to reinforce the exclusive status of the Spartiates. Making a clear distinction between them and the Helots
• Helot requirement to provide spartiates with produce entretched population in hard labour, diminishing opportunities, energy and time to plan a revolt

Evidence:
- Myron: “They ordained that each of them (helots) must wear a dogskin cap and wrap himself in skins and receive a stipulated number of beatings every year regardless of any wrongdoing, so that they would never forget they were slaves”