Slave Revolts

Question 1

(Diodorus Siculus I I _6) _
* During this year Lacedaemonians suffered earthquakes occurred in Sparta, and as a result the houses collapsed from their foundations and more than twenty thousand Lacedaemonians perished. The Helots and Messenians, observed that the larger part of them had perished because of the earthquake, they held in contempt the survivors, who were few. Consequently, they joined together in the war against the Lacedaemonians. The Messenians together with the Helots at first advanced against the city of Sparta. assuming that they would take it because there would be no one to defend it; but when they heard that the survivors were drawn up in a body with Archidamus the king and were ready for the struggle on behalf of their native land, they gave up this plan, and seizing a stronghold in Messenia (on mount Ithome) they made it their base of operations and from there continued to overrun Laconia.

Answer 1

evidence of ancient revolts from helots

this lasted maybe 10 years

serious threat and very unique

Question 2

(Xenophon Hellenica 3.3.4-S).
This Cinadon was a young man, not a Spartan. And when the ephors asked how he had said that the plan would be carried out, the informer replied that Cinadon had taken him to the edge of the market-place and directed him to count how many Spartiatae there were in the market-place. - these men are your enemies, and that all the others who are in the market-place, more than four thousand m number, are your allies.”’ In the streets also, the informer said, Cinadon pointed out as enemies here one and there two who met them, and all the rest as allies; and of all who chanced to be on the country estates belonging to Spartiatae, while there would be one whom he would point out as an enemy, namely the master, yet there would be many on each estate named as allies.

Answer 2

Cinadon was organiser of this conspiracy which never happened as he was snitched on

shows the potential and desire for a revolt

Question 3

(Thucydides 5.23.3).
* “Should the slave population rise, the Athenians shall help the Lacedaemonians with all their might, according to their power”

Answer 3

Treaty between Athens and Sparta in the Peloponnesian war that Athens will help them if need be

seems like it is not a concern for athens basically

Question 4

(Aristotle fr. 538 - Plutarch Lycurgus 28.4).
Aristotle in particular says also that the ephors, as soon as they came into office, made formal declaration of war upon the Helots, in order that there might be no impiety in slaying them.

Answer 4

Elite Spartans made them at war with each other thus to keep control

Question 5

(Thucydides 4.80.3).

Indeed, fear of their numbers and obstinacy even persuaded the Lacedaemonians to the action which I shall now relate, their policy at all times having been governed by the necessity of taking precautions against them

Answer 5

seems spartans were always scared of them basically

Question 6

(Plato Laws 777c—d)_

For probably the most vexed problem in all Greece is the problem of the helot-system of the Lacedaemonians, which some maintain to be good, others bad; a less violent dispute rages round the subjection of the Mariandynians to the slave-system (douleia) of the Heracleotes, and that of the class of Penestai to the Thessalians_ In view of these and similar Instances, what ought we to do about this question of owning slaves?’

Answer 6

Athenian philosopher who highlights how stressful the helots are and what a constant issue they are

Question 7

(Aristophanes of Byzantium, 3rd-2nd century BC).*
These are the same: those in Crete they called Minotai, those in Thessaly Penestai, and those in Lakedaemon Helots

Answer 7

Penestai= unfree labourers from Thessaly

Question 8

(Aristotle fr. 538).
As Aristotle says in his Constitution of the Syracusans, ‘they [The Kallikyrioi] are like the Spartans’ helots, the Thessalians’ Penestai and the Cretans’ kIarotai.’

Answer 8

suggests Helots wernt the only rebelious slaves

Question 9

(Aristotle Politics 1269a37-8).
For the Thessalian penestai often attacked the Thessalians, and the helots did the same against the Lakoruans (for they are like enemies continually lying in wait for their misfortunes).

Answer 9

definatly rebellious like helots too!

Question 10

(Xenophon Hellenica 2.3.36).
“I do not wonder, however, that Critias has misunderstood the matter; for when these events took place, it chanced that he was not here; he was establishing a democracy in Thessaly along with Prometheus, and arming the penestai against their masters”

Answer 10

This is an athenian general who missed and event as he was provoking revolting slaves through arming them

Question 11

Diodorus Siculus’ account (34-5.22-4):
* The Sicilians, briught slaves with new money. But they treated them with a heavy hand in their service and granted them the most meagre care, the bare minimum for food and clothing. As a result, most of them made their livelihood by brigandage, and there was bloodshed everywhere since the brigands were like scattered bands of soldiers. The governors (praetores) attempted to repress them, but since they did not dare to punish them because of the power and prestige of the gentry who owned the brigands, they were forced to connive at the pillaging of the province. For most of the landowners were Roman knights and since it was the knights who acted as judges l.vhen charges arising from provincial affairs were brought against the governors, the magistrates stood in awe of them.

Answer 11

suggests slaves who dont have a close personal relationship with their masters are more likely to revolt

Question 12

(Plutarch Lycurgus 28.5).
* And therefore, in later times. they say, when the Thebans made their expedition into Laconia, they ordered the Helots whom they captured to sing the songs of Terpander, Alcman, and Spendon the Spartan; but they declined to do so, on the plea that their masters did not allow it

Answer 12

shows the power spartans had over helots who knew they would never be manumitted but were still scared

Question 13

Cartledges statement:
“Again, though, this will have been by itself a relatively insignificant revolt-producing factor, especially if the Helots lived dispersed in their individual families… rather than grouped into hamlets or villages”. Archaeology has since suggested that the helots did live in villages.

Answer 13

claims Hleots lived in villages thus as not in close living style with masters they are more likely to revolt

Question 14

(Aristotle Politics 1269a).
* Among the Cretans nothing of this sort has come to pass i.e. slave rebellions]. The reason for this is probly that the neighbouring poleis, even when at war with each other, never ally with the deserters since it is not profitable as they themselves have their own perioikic population, whereas the neighbours of the Lakoruans are all enemies: Argives, Messenians and Arcadians.

Answer 14

claims spartans have issue as surrounded by enemies who arm slaves whereas places like Crete have alliances which help keep control

Question 15

Thucydides
There were more slaves at Chios than in any one other city-state except Lacedaemon, and being also by reason of their numbers punished more rigorously When they offended, most of them when they saw the Athenian armament firmly established in the island with a fortified position, immediately deserted to the enemy, and though their knowledge of the country did the greatest mischief

Answer 15

accounts for how bad treatment of slaves means they are more likely to abandon you and betray

note that the chians were brought, known as barbarian slaves

Question 16

(Herodotus 9.10.1).*
Without saying a word to the envoys who had come from the cities, they ordered five thousand Spartans to march before dawn. Seven helots were appointed to attend each of them, and they gave the command to Pausanias son of Cleombrotus.

Answer 16

shows how many helots there were basically,

Question 17

(Athenaeus 6.625d)
* Nymphodorus the Syracusan, in his Voyage along the Coast of Asia, gives this account of them “The slaves of the Chians deserted them, and escaped to the mountains; and then, collecting in great numbers, ravaged the country-houses about; for the island is very rugged and much overgrown with trees. But. a little before our time, the Chians themselves relate mountains: and. being a man of great courage and very prosperous in his warlike undertakings. he assumed the command of the runaway slaves. as a king would take the command of an army; and though the Chians often made expeditions against him, they were able to effect nothing.

Answer 17

like spartacus i guess

they were not that successful but shows how a leader could be elected and was often very prominent

Question 18

(Pseudo-Aristotle, Economics I. 1344b).*
We should, moreover… avoid the practice of purchasing many slaves of the same nationality, as men avoid doing in towns

Answer 18

claims basically that slaves with stuff like identity in common were more liekly to revolt etc thus should be avoided

Question 19

Plato, Laws 777c.
* The slave is not easy property to control. For actual experience shows how many evils result from slavery, as in the frequent revolts in Messenia. and in [other Greek] states where there are many slaves kept who speak the Same tongue.

Answer 19

basically that it is hard to keep a slave as can never fully trust them but need to treat them well to earn a degree of trust

Question 20

Aristotle, Politics 7, 1330a.
Those who are to cultivate the soil should best of all, if the ideal system is to be stated, be slaves. not drawn from people all of one tribe nor of a spirited character (for thus they would be both serviceable for their *work and and likely not to be rebellious).

Answer 20

claims it is work to find slaves not from one place and who are dead inside