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  • Essay / The helot's life in Sparta: my diary

    Day 1: Morning The Spartans overcharge us and force us to give a large quantity of our products, for which we have worked hard, to the owners of the lands on which we work on. Some of us are even forced by the forces of war. My close friend was just kidnapped by Crypteia. He will be beaten by young warriors as part of their war training. The Spartans are vastly outnumbered by us. For every Spartan, there are seven Helots. For this reason, the Spartans monitor us regularly to make sure everything is going as planned. I think they're a little threatened by our size and I think we're going to turn on them. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Day 1: Noon Today we have a lot of work to do. We must tend the fields, cultivate new crops. These crops include wheat, olives, grapes, cabbage, onions, lentils, chickpeas, beans, and many herbs, spices, and oilseed plants. We have to build new buildings, take care of the Spartan houses and prepare their meals, which were mainly bread and vegetable stews and curries, using spices and herbs to add flavor. We also need to learn the basic business skills that are essential to Sparta's economy. Some of the other Helots went to war with the Spartans. They fought their rival city, Athens, because the Athenians and Spartans wanted to control the Delian League, a league of different cities in Greece. Some of us will participate in the battle, and those who do not fight will carry the weapons of the Spartans on the battlefield or look after each Spartan as a servant, helping them when help is needed. If the other Helots do well in battle, or prove trustworthy in their assistance, they will gain a promotion in terms of the amount of goods they receive each time they are paid. Let's hope they prove themselves. I wish I had the chance to have this opportunity. I would take every opportunity I got to prove to the Spartans that I deserved the promotion. Day 2: Noon We helots are fortunate to be able to live in units with our families. They're small, quite old, and not made of the best materials, but I'm grateful to have a place to live. Sometimes these units are placed in separate communities from others, which may give some of us the opportunity to escape and return to our hometown of Laconia. Unfortunately, our future families will automatically be forced into a life of slavery, because we, their parents, are slaves. This would most likely explain how the helot population is increasing enormously. Still, I'm glad we're even allowed to start a family. Day 2: Night Tonight I got paid for all my hard work. But here in Sparta we are not paid in money, we are paid in goods and products. These products include wheat and herbs. Some of my friends have worked particularly hard, resulting in a promotion that will allow them to earn more products. I hope they can then save enough produce to be able to escape slavery, because they certainly deserve it. Day 3: Evening Even though I am a slave, I am still entitled to some of my rights, including my religious beliefs. My family and I enjoy participating in religious celebrations and practices,.