1. a serf or slave, especially one bound to the land in ancient Sparta
Usage: historical; often capitalized when referring to Spartan helots
2. any person in a condition of servitude or bondage
Usage: figurative or literary

Examples

• The helots of ancient Sparta were forced to work the land for their Spartan masters.
• In Spartan society, helots had few rights and could be killed with impunity.
• The historian described how helots formed the economic foundation of the Spartan state.
• Unlike slaves in other ancient societies, Spartan helots were tied to specific plots of land.
• The condition of helots demonstrates the harsh class divisions that existed in ancient Greece.
• He felt like a helot, bound by circumstances beyond his control.