The only possible class interaction that I could see would be through intermarriage, although I found no evidence of this. One group was part of the Athenian culture, the other part of the Spartan culture, and I could find no relationship between the two groups. The Helots worked the farms as almost slaves, whereas the Metics had a lot of freedom.
The way of life of the Athenians was common in the Greek world compared to Sparta's special system.
ATHENS
In ancient Greece, the term METIC referred to a resident alien, one who did not have citizen rights in his or her Greek city-state (polis) of residence. Metics held lower social status but not on the basis of socio-economic class. Some were poor artisans and ex-slaves, while others were some of the wealthiest inhabitants of the city. As citizenship was a matter of inheritance and not place of birth, a metic could be either an immigrant or the descendant of one. Regardless of how many generations of the family had lived in the city, metics did not become citizens unless the city chose to bestow citizenship on them as a gift. This was rarely done. From a cultural viewpoint such a resident could be completely"local" and indistinguishable from citizens. They had no role in the political community but might be completely integrated into the social and economic life of the city.
Metics typically shared the burdens of citizenship without any of its privileges. Like citizens, they had to perform military service and, if wealthy enough, were subject to the special tax contributions (eisphora) and tax services.
The status divide between metic and citizen was not always clear. In the street no physical signs distinguished citizen from metic or slave. Sometimes the actual status a person had attained became a contested matter. Although local registers of citizens were kept, if one's claim to citizenship was challenged the testimony of neighbours and the community was decisive
Unlike in Rome, slaves who were freed did not become citizens. Instead, they were mixed into the population of METICS, which included people from foreign countries or other city-states who were officially allowed to live in the state.
SPARTA
Sparta had a special type of slaves called HELOTS. Helots were Greek war captives owned by the state and assigned to families where they were forced to stay. Tied to the land, they worked in agriculture as a majority and economically supported the Spartan citizens. Helots raised food and did household chores so that women could concentrate on raising strong children while men could devote their time to training as hoplites. Their masters treated them harshly and helots often revolted. The Helots were serfs, little better than slaves, bound to the farms and forced to cultivate the soil for the citizens who owned the land. These Helots, whose marriages and children were not so strictly controlled by the state, were the most numerous class and bitterly hated their masters. Only the amazing organization and fighting powers of the Spartan state kept them under control.
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The way of life of the Athenians was common in the Greek world compared to Sparta's special system.
ATHENS
In ancient Greece, the term METIC referred to a resident alien, one who did not have citizen rights in his or her Greek city-state (polis) of residence. Metics held lower social status but not on the basis of socio-economic class. Some were poor artisans and ex-slaves, while others were some of the wealthiest inhabitants of the city. As citizenship was a matter of inheritance and not place of birth, a metic could be either an immigrant or the descendant of one. Regardless of how many generations of the family had lived in the city, metics did not become citizens unless the city chose to bestow citizenship on them as a gift. This was rarely done. From a cultural viewpoint such a resident could be completely"local" and indistinguishable from citizens. They had no role in the political community but might be completely integrated into the social and economic life of the city.
Metics typically shared the burdens of citizenship without any of its privileges. Like citizens, they had to perform military service and, if wealthy enough, were subject to the special tax contributions (eisphora) and tax services.
The status divide between metic and citizen was not always clear. In the street no physical signs distinguished citizen from metic or slave. Sometimes the actual status a person had attained became a contested matter. Although local registers of citizens were kept, if one's claim to citizenship was challenged the testimony of neighbours and the community was decisive
Unlike in Rome, slaves who were freed did not become citizens. Instead, they were mixed into the population of METICS, which included people from foreign countries or other city-states who were officially allowed to live in the state.
SPARTA
Sparta had a special type of slaves called HELOTS. Helots were Greek war captives owned by the state and assigned to families where they were forced to stay. Tied to the land, they worked in agriculture as a majority and economically supported the Spartan citizens. Helots raised food and did household chores so that women could concentrate on raising strong children while men could devote their time to training as hoplites. Their masters treated them harshly and helots often revolted. The Helots were serfs, little better than slaves, bound to the farms and forced to cultivate the soil for the citizens who owned the land. These Helots, whose marriages and children were not so strictly controlled by the state, were the most numerous class and bitterly hated their masters. Only the amazing organization and fighting powers of the Spartan state kept them under control.
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