Slavery in Classical Greece

This is an authoritative and clearly written account of the main
issues involved in the study of Greek slavery from Homeric times to the
fourth century BC. It provides valuable insights into the fundamental
place of slavery in the economies and social life of classical Greece,
and includes penetrating analyses of the widely-held ancient
ideological justifications of slavery. A wide range of topics is
covered, including the development of slavery from Homer to the
classical period, the peculiar form of community slaves (the helots)
found in Sparta, economic functions and the treatment of slaves in
Athens, and the evidence for slaves' resistance. Throughout the author
shows how political and economic systems, ideas of national identity,
work and gender, and indeed the fundamental nature of Greek
civilisation itself, were all profoundly affected by the fact that many
of the Greek city-states were slave societies. With 12 illustrations.