Penestai
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The penestai or penestae (
Status
Tradition made the penestae descendants of the Achaeans subjected by invading tribes arriving from Thesprotia.[citation needed] Archemachus (cited by Athenaeus, VI, 264), a 3rd-century BC writer, believed instead that they were Boeotians:
The Aeolian Boeotians who did not emigrate when their country
Thessalians, surrendered themselves to the victors on condition that they should not be carried out of the country, nor be put to death, but should cultivate the land for the new owners of the soil, paying by way of rent a portion of the produce of it, and many of them are richer than their masters.
The Thessalian lands were very productive and spacious with a low population density; the penestae thus had goodly amounts of rich land to cultivate. The contributions given to the Thessalians and Archemachus' remark about their wealth imply that the penestae could freely dispose of the portions in excess of their rent payments and that they could possess goods. Certain penestae, known as latreis, worked as house servants, receiving a salary in exchange.
From a passage in
There was also an Illyrian tribe was called "Penestae".[2]
See also
References
Citations
- ^ Mili 2015, p. 115
- ISBN 0-631-19807-5.
Bibliography
- Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, "Penestae", Boston, (1870)
- Jean Ducat, Les Pénestes de Thessalie, Belles Lettres, series "Centre de recherces d'histoire ancienne", 1994 ISBN 2-251-60512-6
- Yvon Garlan, Les Esclaves en Grèce ancienne, La Découverte, series "Textes à l'appui", 1989 ISBN 2-7071-2475-3, pp. 106–107
- Mili, Maria (2015). Religion and Society in Ancient Thessaly. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0198718012.