helot

Everyday

1. (history) A helot was one of the people in ancient Sparta who were made to work the land for the Spartans, almost like slaves, and could not leave. tree →
2. (formal, rare) A helot is anyone treated like a slave or a serf. tree →

In the lessons

In history lessons about ancient Greece it explains how Sparta worked: the helots farmed so that Spartan citizens could train as soldiers; Spartans feared helot rebellions and treated them harshly. It tells the reader about unfree people. Related: serf, slave.

Examples

• The helots farmed the land for the Spartans. tree →
• There were many more helots than Spartan citizens. tree →
• Spartans feared that the helots would rebel. tree →
• Helots could not leave the farms they worked on. tree →
• The helots rose up against Sparta several times. tree →
• Spartan boys trained as soldiers while helots grew the food. tree →

Note

Countable: a helot, helots. Pronounced «HEL-ot». Rare word, mostly in history about Sparta. Helots were not exactly the same as slaves: they belonged to the state and were tied to the land, more like serfs.