1. the condition or system of being a helot; serfdom or slavery, especially the state of being bound to the land and subject to a master.
Usage: historical; often used in reference to ancient Sparta or similar systems of forced labor

Examples

• The helotage system in ancient Sparta kept the conquered population in a state of perpetual servitude.
• Historians study helotage as an example of institutionalized oppression in the ancient world.
• The peasants lived under a form of helotage, bound to their lord's estate.
• Helotage differed from chattel slavery in that the helots were tied to the land rather than owned as personal property.
• The abolition of helotage marked a significant shift in social structures across medieval Europe.