CLASSICS 1M03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Helots, Solonian Constitution, Stratus Cloud
14 Apr 2015
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Polis that formed at sparta was radically different from the rest of human history. Spartans had a different social system, reorganized as a collection of citizen-soldiers. Sparta conquered and subordinated its neighbours, taking over the peloppenese, starting with laconia and then messenia. Spartans turned the people into serfs (helots), working the land that has been taken over by the spartans. Spartans were determined to keep the lands they had under their control. Arts and culture were shut down in sparta. Serfs outnumbered the spartans 7 to 1, spartan population decreased. With serfs contributing to production of food and economy, citizens could devote themselves to warfare. Increased military activity arose to keep the serfs subjugated. Some states were attracted and wanted to ally with sparta, others were bullied into the alliance. Spartans achieved equality and unity, did not experience civil conflicts. Disunity in athens was due to class don"t references in athens.
