Penestae

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The Penestae (in Greek oι Πενέσται, hoi penestai) were a a class of unfree laborers tied to the land once inhabiting Thessaly, whose status is comparable to that of the Spartan Helots.

[edit] Status

Tradition made the Penestae descendants of the Achaeans submitted by invading tribes arriving from Thesprotia. Archemachus (cited by Athenaeus, VI, 264), a 3rd century BC writer, believed instead that they were Boeotians:

"The Aeolian Boeotians who did not emigrate when their country Thessaly was conquered by the Thessalians, surrendered themselves to the victors on condition that they should not be carried out of the country, nor be put to death, but should cultivate the land for the new owners of the soil, paying by way of rent a portion of the produce of it: and many of them are richer than their masters."

The Thessalian lands were rich and vast: as such, the Penestae had lots of land of considerable dimensions. The contributions due to the Thessalians could implie that the Penestae could freely dispose of the rest, and that they could possess goods. Archemachus arrived to the point to say that many of them were richer than the Thessalians. Certain Penestae, known as latreis, worked as house servants, receiving in exchange a salary.

Dionysius of Halicarnassus tells us (II, 9) that they were beaten when they refused to obey and that, generally speaking, they were treated like bought slaves. They appear to have been much fewer than the free Thessalians.

From a passage in Demosthenes it appears that the Penestae sometimes accompanied their masters to battle, and fought on horse-back, as their knights or vassals: a circumstance which need not excite surprise, as Thessaly was so famous for cavalry. The Penestae of Thessaly also resembled the Laconian Helots in another respect; for they often rose up in arms against their lords. There were Penestae amongst the Macedonians also.

[edit] See also

• Slavery in Ancient Greece
• Helot

[edit] References

• Smith, William (editor); Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, "Penestae", Boston, (1870)
• Jean Ducat, Les Pénestes de Thessalie, Belles Lettres, series "Centre de recherces d'histoire ancienne", 1994 ISBN 2-251-60512-6
• Yvon Garlan, Les Esclaves en Grèce ancienne, La Découverte, series "Textes à l'appui", 1989 ISBN 2-7071-2475-3, pp. 106–107