Page:The History of Slavery and the Slave Trade.djvu/49

 Hoplitæ, or heavy armed, where the discipline was rigorous, and their weapons would have placed them on a level with their oppressors. But even this was sometimes hazarded, as in the reinforcements forwarded to Gyleppus, at Syracuse, when six hundred Neodomades and picked Helots were complimented with this dangerous distinction. As light troops, however, they almost invariably formed the major part of the Lacedæmonian forces. In other countries, where the subject races were treated more humanely, no fear was entertained at entrusting them with arms. Among the Dardanians, for example, where it was not uncommon for a private individual to possess a thousand slaves, they in time of peace cultivated the land, and in war, filled the ranks of the army.

Plato, Aristotle, Isocrates, Plutarch, and a number of other writers, agree in convicting the Spartans of great barbarity towards their bondmen, differing, however, as to the degree of that barbarity. The following passage occurs in the work of Myron, of Priene, whose testimony, however, is rejected by Midler: "The Helots perform for the Spartans every ignominious service. They are compelled to wear a cap of dog-skin, and a covering of sheep-skin; and are severely beaten every year, without having committed any fault, in order that they might never forget that they are slaves. In addition to this, those amongst them who, either by their stature or their beauty, raise themselves above the ordinary condition of a slave, are condemned to death, and the masters who do not destroy the most manly of them are liable to punishment." Plutarch relates that "the Helots were compelled to intoxicate themselves, and perform indecent dances, as a warning to the Spartan youth." From other authors it appears that it was the constant policy of Sparta to demoralize the Helots. They were commanded to sing obscene songs, and dance indecent jigs, while the Pyrrhic dance, and every warlike lay were forbidden them. It is related, that when the Thebans invaded Laconia and made prisoners a number of Helots, they commanded them to sing some of the songs of Sparta; but the Helots professed their inability, observing that the acquisition of those lays was forbidden them. In short, to adopt the words of Theopompos, they were at all times cruelly and bitterly treated. Critias observes, that, as the freemen of Sparta were of all men the most free, so were the serfs of Sparta of all slaves the most slavish. They were deluded, sometimes, from the protection of sanctuary by perjury, and then assassinated in contempt of oaths and religion. But all this harsh usage was mild, compared with other injuries which the laws of Sparta inflicted on them. We allude to the institution of the Crypteia. Isocrates describes this annual massacre of the Helots, and, with Aristotle, he attributes to the Ephori, magistrates, the direction of this servile war, in which the reins of slaughter were loosed or tightened by their authority. Plutarch says: "According to this ordinance, the Crypteia, the rulers, selecting from among the youths those most distinguished for ability, sent them forth armed with daggers and furnished with the necessary provisions to scour the country, separating and