Ancient Greece

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 1000 slaves. which he let out to Sosias, the Thracian on the condition that he would pay him an obol (an ancient Greek coin) a day net per man and that he would always keep the number constant.  Hipponikos had 600 slaves hired out in the same way.  Philimonides had 300 slaves in this way. There are still many men in the silver mines nowadays who are let out on the same conditions.  If my suggestion were to be carried out by the city, the city would acquire upto three slaves for each citizen.  Slaves were also employed as wet-nurses.  Slaves were also employed as domestic help.

Slaves were also used in agriculture. Those who did work in fields or artisans were not able participate in religious or political festivals. The were called benausic. This stigma originated in Greek cities gradually permeated to other societies. Benausic were not qualified to become citizens.  Slaves also were not qualified.  Metics or foreigners were not qualified. Xenos also were not qualified, because they were of different origin.

The growth of freedom and growth of slavery went hand in hand, because free man is free from work because the slaves work for free man.

Odysseus, also known as Ulysses is a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and hero of Odyssey.  There were two types of slaves. Serfs born and bred inside the community, with families and household of their own.  Another type were captured and bought from outside.  Among them some were made concubines.  Greek poems narrate the stories of good slaves and bad slaves.  Eumaios was a good slave. He was a swine herd slave of Odysseus.  Melanthios was goatherd slave of Odysseus. He was a bad slave.  Instead we have the the; sister of Melanthios an example of bad female slave, and Eurycleia as an example of good slave.

Hecateus is known as father of Geography.

Heracles is Hercules. 

Greek king Thespius asked Hercules to hunt a lion. Thespius had fifty daughters.  He offered Hercules a sleep with his daughters in exchange. 

Hercules took fifty days to hunt the lion.  And each of this fifty days Thespius offered each one of his daughters, fearing Hercules would leave his job unfinished if he was not offered with a fresh girl. Each of these girls gave birth a grand son to Thespius.

Chios 

An island in Agean sea. The island is separated from Turkey by Chios strait. The island is known for its export of mastic gum, also known as tears of Chios.

Barber's shop

Barber's shop was a public place, where information was exchanged.

Spoken words were prominent and written documents were secondary.  Laws were read publicly.

Agora 

An open place for market and for citizens to assemble. Only news concerning the state was available here. 

Of Cult and Sacrifice

Zeus was the deity of Thunder, whose abode was mount of Olympus.