11-27-2009, 01:04 AM
Paul B. wrote:
...a very important point to note - the Spartiates/Homioi/full citizens represented a minority, just as the 'Hoplite Class' did in other cities. The difference was that the Spartans were relatively 'land rich'/Helot rich by virtue of conquest compared to other cities, and hence their 'Hoplite Class' did not work their own land, and became full-time soldiers.
...to answer properly would require a discourse on the Spartan system of land tenure - originally and 'officially' the Homioi was allocated a 'kleros' and a certain number of Helots to work it, while ownership of both were retained by the State, so the Homioi was technically a 'life tenant' ( c.f. Mediaeval 'Knight's service').
Since Homioi were unable to enter commerce or anything involving money, land acquisition was the only way a Spartiate could improve his 'wealth' position.
Ways were found around the Laws. Mortgaging land was one way, and failure to pay interest rates could lead to forfeiture, or failure to pay the mortgage and syssition fees lead to dis-enfranchisement. ( see e.g. the eagerness to support King Agis and burn the mortgages, but not re-distribute land). The Ephors, supposedly poor men, were notoriously corrupt and accepted bribes to allocate Kleroi. Marriage alliances too could combine estates. ( 'Dowry Hunting' became a public scandal). Aristotle recognised these weaknesses of the Spartan system, and devised measures in his idealised state to counteract them.At some point, the system broke down, probably at some time after Leuktra. Plutarch tells us an Ephor called Epitadeus, who did not get along with his son, changed the Law, allowing a 'Homioi' to will/give his estate to anyone, and as Plutarch remarks ( Life of Agis) "Men of power and influence at once began to acquire estates without scruple...and speedily the wealth of the state went into the hands of a few men and poverty became the rule". Thus 'fee-entail' became 'fee-simple' - ownership in effect passed from the State to individuals. Note that 'buying' kleroi land was still technically illegal.
I guess that, being 'free' and not of the 'Homioi', would make 'neodamodeis' inferior, i.e. a sub-set of the generic 'Hypomeiones'. However there was an important distinction, which is probably why Xenophon categorises them separately, viz, they were all born Helots, and not 'free', being bound to their 'Kleroi'.
Their 'freedom' consisted of being released from their 'kleroi' and hence the obligation to pay a tithe to their Master. They could now go and settle wherever they pleased ( Thuc V.34 ). This was short-lived and Thucydides tells us they were obliged to settle at Lepreon, on the border of Laconia and Elis as a permanent border garrison. They thus became a sort of 'perioecic' community, but belonging to Sparta, not independent. They were thus different to the average 'hypomeion' or 'perioikoi' .
In addition to 'neodamodeis' for the army, Myron of Priene tells us the Spartans often freed Helots, who were nicknamed 'aphetoi'/released or 'adespotoi'/masterless, for all sorts of functions ( c.f. 'freedmen'/former slaves at Rome), so Paul B. is likely right to suggest complex sub-divisions, as in other cities or at Rome.
Quote:More a suprise that there were so many "others". It gives a glimpse of the life of the polis that was occuring around the Spartiates.
...a very important point to note - the Spartiates/Homioi/full citizens represented a minority, just as the 'Hoplite Class' did in other cities. The difference was that the Spartans were relatively 'land rich'/Helot rich by virtue of conquest compared to other cities, and hence their 'Hoplite Class' did not work their own land, and became full-time soldiers.
Quote:Kleroi were regularly bought by this date, which was the heart of the oliganthropy. Mortgaging your kleroi was one of the few ways a Spartiate could raise cash and the rules had been changed by an Ephor whose name escapes me so that you could "give" kleroi to those who were not your children.
...to answer properly would require a discourse on the Spartan system of land tenure - originally and 'officially' the Homioi was allocated a 'kleros' and a certain number of Helots to work it, while ownership of both were retained by the State, so the Homioi was technically a 'life tenant' ( c.f. Mediaeval 'Knight's service').
Since Homioi were unable to enter commerce or anything involving money, land acquisition was the only way a Spartiate could improve his 'wealth' position.
Ways were found around the Laws. Mortgaging land was one way, and failure to pay interest rates could lead to forfeiture, or failure to pay the mortgage and syssition fees lead to dis-enfranchisement. ( see e.g. the eagerness to support King Agis and burn the mortgages, but not re-distribute land). The Ephors, supposedly poor men, were notoriously corrupt and accepted bribes to allocate Kleroi. Marriage alliances too could combine estates. ( 'Dowry Hunting' became a public scandal). Aristotle recognised these weaknesses of the Spartan system, and devised measures in his idealised state to counteract them.At some point, the system broke down, probably at some time after Leuktra. Plutarch tells us an Ephor called Epitadeus, who did not get along with his son, changed the Law, allowing a 'Homioi' to will/give his estate to anyone, and as Plutarch remarks ( Life of Agis) "Men of power and influence at once began to acquire estates without scruple...and speedily the wealth of the state went into the hands of a few men and poverty became the rule". Thus 'fee-entail' became 'fee-simple' - ownership in effect passed from the State to individuals. Note that 'buying' kleroi land was still technically illegal.
Quote:On what are you basing this? Clearly the "free" neodamodeis were not subsumed under the title of hypomeiones. It would not suprise me at all if the Spartans had a tortuously intricate system of subdivisions.
I guess that, being 'free' and not of the 'Homioi', would make 'neodamodeis' inferior, i.e. a sub-set of the generic 'Hypomeiones'. However there was an important distinction, which is probably why Xenophon categorises them separately, viz, they were all born Helots, and not 'free', being bound to their 'Kleroi'.
Their 'freedom' consisted of being released from their 'kleroi' and hence the obligation to pay a tithe to their Master. They could now go and settle wherever they pleased ( Thuc V.34 ). This was short-lived and Thucydides tells us they were obliged to settle at Lepreon, on the border of Laconia and Elis as a permanent border garrison. They thus became a sort of 'perioecic' community, but belonging to Sparta, not independent. They were thus different to the average 'hypomeion' or 'perioikoi' .
In addition to 'neodamodeis' for the army, Myron of Priene tells us the Spartans often freed Helots, who were nicknamed 'aphetoi'/released or 'adespotoi'/masterless, for all sorts of functions ( c.f. 'freedmen'/former slaves at Rome), so Paul B. is likely right to suggest complex sub-divisions, as in other cities or at Rome.
"dulce et decorum est pro patria mori " - Horace
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
