വായനമൂല

Greek society was composed of citizens, metics and slaves. As per one census in 317 their numbers were 21000, 10000, and 4,00,000. That means the number of slaves. That means the citizens were only below 5 per cent of total population. The slaves composed of skilled manual labourers.  They may desert the country as a protest in times of war.  They may be shield makers, knife makers, or couch makers. The slaves were from different regions. There may be Thracians, Syrians, Illyrian, Skythian, Lydian, Kolkhian etc. They may include men, women, boys and girls.  They might have been bought at different prices.  Some of them were attached to land.  When ships were consficated, their owners were taken as slaves. There were sailors and marines.  The hoplite class also owned slaves.  There were independent citizen craftsmen. Xenophon was a Greek military leader, philosopher and historian, born in Athens. He records as follows:  Nikias son Nikeratos owned 1...