noun
- The state, condition, or system of being a helot; serfdom or slavery, especially the condition of the helots in ancient Sparta.
Usage: historical; usually used in singular form 'helotage' but 'helotages' is the plural; formal or academic
Examples
- The helotages of ancient Sparta represented one of history's harshest systems of forced labor.
- Scholars debate the exact nature of helotages and how they differed from chattel slavery.
- The institution of helotages allowed Spartan citizens to focus on military training.
- Ancient texts describe the brutal conditions of helotages in the Greek city-states.