Did the ancient Spartans kill their slaves?

Answer 1

Spartan soldiers, while in training had to learn how to successfully stalk and ambush an enemy. This was done by sneaking up on and attacking field slaves called Helots. Since Spartans trained for real situations, the art of the ambush was completed with the death of the unlucky Helot tending fields.

(Changed Hoplite to Helot in the above paragraph. Helots were Spartan slaves, the Hoplites were a Greek military unit).

However, as a historian, I can assure you there is a GREAT deal of debate about what the goals of this process, called the Krypteia, were.

Some insist the Krypteia was the final test for all Spartan soldiers where they learned stealth and killing. Others say the Krypteia were a secret police force, chosen from only the best Spartan soldiers, who patrolled their society (particularly that of Helot slaves) looking for signs of rebellion or sedition and killing anyone the Krypteia suspected of fomenting it.

Ultimately, the Krypteia could be any of these:

-A rite of passage into manhood

-An elite special forces unit whose final training was to stalk and kill a man

-A secret police force

-A final test in the Spartan military school, the Agoge.

It is almost impossible to know for certain.

Answer 2

Spartan citizen were each supported by seven serfs. These serfs were not slaves - they tilled the land and gave half the produce to the Spartan state.

The Spartan soldiers on expeditionary forces were each accompanied by seven serfs who acted as supporting light infantry (javelins, bows, slings) - at the battle of Plataia the Spartans had 5,000 armoured warriors (hoplites) and 35,000 serf light infantry; at Thermopylae in the Greek forces holding the pass were 300 Sprtan hoplites and their 2,100 serf light infantry, who died along with the 300 who continued to hold the pass to let the other Greek contingents escape.

Apart from the strength these serf troops gave to the hoplites, taking so many serfs with them on campaigh reduced the likelihood of a serf uprising in the absence of the Spartan warriors.

When ongoing wars depleted the number of Spartan hoplites available, selected serfs were enrolled as hoplites and were released from serfdom after satisfactory service on campaign.

Answer 3

The household slaves.