Laconophilia, the modern day fascination with Spartan culture, is now firmly entrenched in American male culture thanks to the movie 300. However, the producers took a departure from historical accuracy when they had Leonidas proclaim “a new age has begun, an age of freedom”. The Spartans of reality were slaveholders of agrarian retainers known as 'helots'.
The first helots were the native inhabitants of the region that would become the city-state of Sparta. They were subjugated when the ethnic Spartans arrived. Later on, prisoners from the Spartan invasion of Messenia would provide an additional source of helots.
Better treatment than other Greek states
Yet, although the Spartans are no doubt glorified tyrants by today's standards, the helots were generally treated better than slaves in neighboring Greek states. Helots were allowed to have their own families and keep crops their masters did not need. However, land ownership and voting rights were still strictly prohibited.
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