The Role of Perioikoi in Ancient Spartan Society

(K.Welch) Economy "The Perioikoi was..."

a) Spartan slaves
b) Spartan citizens
c) Non-citizen inhabitants of Sparta
d) Spartan merchants

Final answer:

The Perioikoi were non-citizen inhabitants of Sparta who, unlike helots, were free but could not participate in the political life of the polis; they fulfilled military duties and contributed economically. Option c is the correct answer.

Explanation:

The question at hand is about the Perioikoi, a group that existed within Spartan society. To understand who the Perioikoi were, it is essential to delve into the social structure of ancient Sparta, a city-state known for its rigid military lifestyle and hierarchy. The society was divided into distinct classes.

At the top were the Spartiates, full Spartan citizens who were the elite warriors. Below them were the helots, who were essentially serfs or enslaved people, originating from areas such as Messenia and were owned by the state. The helots worked the land and fulfilled duties to sustain the Spartiate class.

Between these two groups were the Perioikoi, who were neither enslaved like the helots nor full citizens like the Spartiates. The Perioikoi were free inhabitants of the regions around Sparta who were required to fulfill military obligations and engage in commerce, but they did not possess political rights within the Spartan polis. Thus, they were 'non-citizen inhabitants of Sparta' and played an essential role in sustaining Spartan society through their economic and military contributions.

Given this context provided by historical accounts and scholarly work, we can determine the role of the Perioikoi within Spartan society. Therefore, to address the student's question, the correct option answer is c) Non-citizen inhabitants of Sparta.