a helots freedom in death

7/26/2019 A Helots Freedom in Death

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Hemang Mehta

History 36B

Professor Claxton

May 27, 2016

A Helots Freedom in eath

! had "rayed for so long# $hro%gh la&or and toil# $hro%gh &eatings and ex'l%sion# $hey

say %s helots are the sla(es )ith the &est treatment in *ree'e# +ome relief that notion is )hen

yo% s"end ho%rs and ho%rs toiling on someone elses land to feed their family &efore yo%r o)n#

!(e seen the +"artan soldiers )his"ering )hen they see %s# $hey -eer, and la%gh at o%r death and

misery# B%t ! 'ant e(en &lame them# $hey(e &een raised to hate %s# $o them )e are nothing

more than a &east that ser(es them# A &east they 'ant tr%st# A &east that m%st &e held &a'. &y the

li.es of the .ry"teia# $heir ga/e st%ng e(ery day o(er and o(er# $hey "it &rother against &rother

and .ee" %s do)n in the dirt# et after all these grie(an'es, the day of re'.oning has arri(ed# !

.ne) e%s or the other gods )o%ld ne(er honor my "rayer# $hey too are li.e the e"hors# $hey

r%le from a&o(e )ith no 'on'ern for those &elo)# And )ith that ! .ne) ! m%st t%rn to the god

)ho %nderstood o%r s%ffering# ! t%rned to a god )ho .ne) the meaning of s%&-%gation# ho had

&een sh%nned from "o)er# ho had dra)n the )orst of stra)s# ! "rayed to Hades god of the

%nder)orld to grant my "eo"le the o""ort%nity to lea(e +"arta# $he god of the %nder)orld and

"re'io%s stones has listened to my "leadings# %st as he s)allo)ed Perse"hone into the earth, he

&egan s"litting the gro%nd in t)o#

As the gro%nd s"lit in front of me, ! s"rinted )ith all my might to)ards my )ife and

'hildren# $ogether, )e gathered o%r &arest of essentials in'l%ding my )ea"on and some &asi'


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"ro(isions# $his )as the moment )e had ho"ed for# A 'han'e to es'a"e from the range of +"artan

'ontrol# $hey )ill &e "reo''%"ied )ith their damages and 'omrades to noti'e their "itif%l

ser(ants s'ram&ling for their freedom# As the d%st gathered &ehind %s and the gro%nd shoo. )ith

f%ry my )ife, t)o da%ghters and ! s"rinted a)ay from the 'losest ho"lite g%ard#

$he &%rning in my legs and the s)eat on my &ro) did nothing to slo) me yet my

yo%ngest da%ghter 'o%ld no longer maintain the "a'e after an ho%r# e fo%nd a se'l%ded area

)ith little to no de(elo"ment, and sto""ed to rest for a &it# $he s%"ernat%ral tremors had sto""ed

and had left an %nnat%ral silen'e in their stead# $ho%gh there )ere fires raging in e(ery dire'tion

aro%nd %s, ! felt an %nnat%ral 'hill 'ree" %" my s"ine# ! had no masters at this moment# ! )as the

leader of my family# 4ot a single so%l 'o%ld 'ommand my a'tions# $here )as a "ride and a terror

stri.ing me )ith e(ery &reath# 5(ery mo(e ! made )as my res"onsi&ility# My )ife and 'hildren

)o%ld mo(e at my )ill &%t 'o%ld -%st as easily die at my )ill# ! &ro.e o%t the "ie'es of &read that

! had ta.en )ith me, and handed some to my da%ghters and )ife# e ate in silen'e as )e "rayed

that the g%ards had not )i/ened %" to o%r de'eit# As the day &egan to end, and d%s. )as %"on %s#

My da%ghters &egan to nod off, and my )ife, )hile she didnt 'om"lain, a""eared exha%sted# As

a &ene(olent master, ! let my )ife rest as ! stayed (igilant into the night#

! )as a)o.en &y a s)ift 'l%&&ing to the ear# My eyes o"ened, and my (ison shifted and !

sa) my 'o%ntrymen# Men and )omen ! hadnt seen for de'ades# Men and )omen from my home

of Messenia# $hey had gathered aro%nd my family and )ere )a.ing %s %"# $he largest of the

gro%" told %s in his &r%s%e (oi'e, *et %" and follo) %s#8 $oo exha%sted to %estion, and too

ha""y that ! hadnt &een fo%nd &y a Ho"lite, ! gathered my )ife and 'hildren and )e follo)ed in

silen'e &ehind this &and of free men# As )e mo(ed f%rther into the )ilderness, a 'learing &egan

to form and )e sa) many more ref%gees li.e %s h%ddled together# !n the 'enter of the gro%" lay a


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man, 'learly haggard thro%gh years of la&or, &%t )ith an air of no&ility aro%nd him# e )ere

ta.en to this man, and he greeted %s as old .in# He told %s of his "ast, and the )ay the others

loo.ed at him it )as 'lear that he )as the leader# !n his 'alm (oi'e he "ointed to a s"a'e in the

'learing that )as %no''%"ied and he told %s that for the next fe) days this )o%ld &e o%r home#

itho%t %estion, ! mo(ed to)ards my ne) "osition and laid my meager "ossessions there#

!mmediately eyes fell %"on my small "o%'h of &read and s.in of )ater# ! 'l%t'hed this "ossession

as tightly as ! 'o%ld to my 'hest, and my s)ord firmly in my other hand# My )ife and da%ghter

)ere immediately 'alled %"on &y the other )omen to -oin their 'ir'le, and they got %" )ith only

a &rief 'on'erned loo. for me# +'%rrying a)ay they la%ghed for the first time in their li(es# hile

they )ere together )ith the others, ! too. my s)ord and &egan dra)ing in the dirt# ! had &een

gi(en a s"a'e, and as meager as it )as, ! )as the lord of this "lot of dirt# 9n'e )ithin my

.ingdom ! &egan to relax and )as aslee" &efore ! .ne) it#

! a)o.e to a man rea'hing for my &read# A s'ra)ny loo.ing fello) had 'rossed !nto the

line ! had dra)n, and )as rea'hing into my "o%'h# itho%t a se'ond tho%ght ! s)%ng my s)ord

to)ards him and missed his ne'. &y a fra'tion of a millimeter# He fell &a'. s'reaming, and

immediately : large men &egan to gra& me and too. my s)ord from my hand# Cl%t'hing me, my

&read and this man )e )ere dragged to the leader, )ho loo.ed e(en more exha%sted than &efore#

He loo.ed to me and to this man and as.ed )hat the "ro&lem )as# Angry as 'o%ld &e, ! s"it o%t,

$his s)ine tried to ta.e my families last morsels of &read8# ! smir.ed &e'a%se ! .ne) that %"on

hearing this, the leader and his : goons )o%ld &e on my side immediately# ! ex"e'ted &lood as

re"arations for the 'rime that ! had fa'ed# %st as ! t%rned to gloat, ! heard the )ords, this isnt

yo%r &read8# ! t%rned in 'onf%sion, and &egan to ex"lain ho) that )as &read that ! had made

)hile )or.ing in the farms and ho) it )as one of my fe) "ossessions# itho%t &atting an eye,


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the leader t%rned to me and said, this &read )as +"artan# As )e are no longer +"artan, this &read

is stolen "ro"erty and as s%'h &elongs to the gro%"#8 ! &egan to "rotest, &%t &efore the )ords left

my mo%th, ! )as ro%ghly "i'.ed %" &y my an.les &y the large man and thro)n )ith my s)ord

&a'. into my little 'ir'le# As ! t%rned aro%nd &r%ised and 'onf%sed, ! sa) my )ife and 2

da%ghters loo.ing at me )ith "ity# My )ife "atted me to 'omfort me, &%t ! &r%shed her off and

let o%t a roar of anger# +he got %" fro)ned at me and stormed off to meet the other )omen# !

t%rned to my da%ghters &%t immediately they s'am"ered off &ehind their mother# !n a fit of rage,

! sta&&ed my s)ord into a tree and stormed into the )oods#

;et%rning the next morning after a night of rage in the )oods, ! fo%nd the men of the

'am" no)here to &e seen# $he leader %shered me to him and told me that ! )as to find the

)omen and gather roots and &erries )ith them# !ndignantly ! yelled at him that ! demand to &e

"la'ed )ith the men, &%t ! )as told that my a&sen'e had &een noted and that ! had lost the right# !

'len'hed my fist and stared at this man, ready to stri.e )hen immediately a g%ard ste""ed in

front of him as if he .ne) of my intentions# ! loo.ed at the g%ard and .ne) my 'han'es in a fight

)ere &elo) 0 and so ! )al.ed to the )omen )ith my tail &et)een my legs# hen ! met the

)omen, ! )as assigned to a lo'ation 'loser to the +"artan "olis than the others# !t )as &y no

means (isi&le &%t it )as the ris.iest "osition# My self res"e't had &een 'r%shed and so !

de-e'tedly de'ided to ta.e )hate(er ins%lt 'ame my )ay# ! gathered &erries in silen'e for ho%rs#

As night &egan to fall and my assigned area had &een 'leared of anything edi&le, ! &egan

to head &a'.# Before ! 'o%ld finish the -o%rney ho)e(er, ! loo.ed &ehind me and sa) smo.e

rising# $he +"artans had gathered themsel(es and .ne) )here )e )ere# !mmediately ! felt a

sla(e again# $he fear of my master and the "ain of the )hi" 'ame &a'. to me immediately# et

)ith my ne) ex"erien'es, ! also remem&ered my da%ghters first la%gh, and my )ifes smile of


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"ea'e )hen )or.ing )ith the other )omen# e had tasted freedom and 'o%ld not go &a'.# !

silently 're"t &a'. to 'am" .no)ing )hat to do#

As ! )rite this ! .no) ! ha(e ne(er ex"erien'ed tr%e freedom# ! left my sla(e life and

li(ed as a sla(e to fear# !mmediately after ! )as ta.en into a ne) home, and yet my freedom )as

ta.en &y the 'omm%nity# My r%le o(er my family, my r%le o(er my food, and my r%le o(er my

self )orth had all &een ta.en from me at e(ery t%rn# !n these last fe) moments, as ! )rite, ! ha(e

for the first time in my life ex"erien'ed freedom# $he freedom of 'hoi'e# $he freedom to "rote't

)hat ! )ant to "rote't# And so ! )ill ta.e the +"artans and lead them far from these my "eo"le#

As e(en tho%gh ! )as o""ressed here, my a't of freedom )ill hel" define a "otential freedom for

my family, my "eo"le, and all of %s )ho ha(e ser(ed for far too long# My freedom )ill &e

immediate and )ill &e in death#

a helots freedom in death

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