Helen of Sparta, aka a Spartan Tale

by Dr. Seumas MacDhòmhnaill

(thepatrologist@gmail.com)

About this story

What you are about to read is a story about ancient Greece,

designed to help you read a broader, alternative version and vision

of what ancient Greece was like. Our story begins with Helen,

Ἑλήνᾱ, a Spartan helot/slave woman who lives in the countryside.

The setting of our story mirrors, parallels, and plays upon the

popular textbook Athenaze, though it doesn’t require that you have

read that book.

This story is written in Doric Greek, the dialect of Greek spoken in

and around Spartan territory. It’s also a dialect of Greek that is not

terribly well attested. It’s presumed that most readers of this story

have a reasonable degree of acquaintance with Attic or Koine

Greek. With each section, I provide notes that highlight differences

and features of Doric that will help the reader along.

Content Warning

The story herein contains material pertaining to slavery, implied

sexual violence and rape, and non-vivid depictions of violence. I

have included these elements in an attempt to portray the

narrative world of ancient Sparta in a non-glorifying way, with an

honesty about the reality of these phenomena often missing in

standard textbook narratives and sources. At the same time, I

recognize that the very depiction of this content may be troubling

for some readers.

For those thinking of using this in a class or teaching setting, I

advice pre-reading the story, to be familiar with its contents and

difficulties and prepared to lead discussions about difficult topics.

For those for whom this material will be too traumatic to process, I

want to affirm that it is not necessary to learn Ancient Greek via

material that necessarily includes these themes. My hope for you is

that other materials will fill that need, including other materials

from myself.
Chapter 1
01.01α ᾱ̔ Ἑλήνᾱ (α)
Ἑλήνᾱ ἐστιν Λάκαινα. οἰκεῖ δὲ οὐκ ἐν τᾷ Σπάρτᾳ, ἀλλὰ ἐν τοῖς

ἀγροῖς. εἱλωτίς γὰρ ἐντιν. δουλεύει οὖν ἐν τοῖς ἀγροῖς καὶ πονεῖ ἐν

τῷ οἴκῳ. χαλεπὸς δέ ἐστιν ὁ βίος. τοὶ γὰρ δεσπόται εἰσὶν χαλεποί,

μακρὸς οὖν ὁ πόνος. ἀεὶ πονεῖ ἁ Ἑλήνα καὶ στενάζει πολλάκιν,

λέγουσα, «ὦ Ζάν, χαλεπός ἐστιν ὁ ἐμὸς βίος. ἀπέραντος γάρ ἐστιν ὁ

ἐμὸς πόνος, χαλεποὶ δὲ τοὶ δεσπόται, καὶ οὐ πολὺν σῖτόν μοι

παρέχοντι.» ἀλλὰ ἰσχῡρᾱ́ ἐντιν ᾱ̔ νθρωπος. ἆρα πολλάκιν χαίρει;

οὐδαμῶς, ἀλλὰ στενάζει καὶ χαλεπαίνει. δούλᾱ γάρ ἐντιν καὶ

εἱλωτίς· μῑσεῖ δὲ τὸν οἶκον. καλᾱ̀ μέν ἐντιν ᾱ̔ ἐλευθερίᾱ, κακᾱ̀ δὲ

δουλείᾱ.

New Vocabulary
Λάκαινα · (a) Spartan (woman)

εἱλωτίς · a female helot

μῑσεῖ · hates (3rd sg)

χαλεπαίνει · is hostile, aggrieved

Doric Features
ᾱ for η

Probably one of the most notable features of Doric Greek is where

Attic developed η as a long vowel, Doric (like many other Greek

dialects) retains ᾱ. This can be seen in the endings of first

declension feminine nouns (Ἑλήνᾱ instead of Ἑλήνη), the article ᾱ̔

instead of ἡ, and elsewhere.

ἐντιν for ἐστιν

The 3rd singular of εἰμί is found as ἐντίν.

3rd plural verbs in οντι instead of ουσι

Where Attic 3rd plurals show a process whereby οντι > ουσι, Doric

verbs retain οντι.

Other changes

τοί for οἱ

Ζάν for Ζεύς

πολλάκιν for πολλάκις

The Doric Article

Here we present the complete paradigm of the article. Note

particularly the bold entries which differ from Attic.

ἑνικόν πληθυντικόν

ἀρσενικόν θηλυκόν οὐδέτερον ἀρσενικόν θηλυκόν οὐδέτερον

εὐθεῖα ὁ ᾱ̔ τό τοί ταί τά

 γενική τοῦ, τῶ τᾶς τοῦ, τῶ τῶν τῶν τῶν

δοτική τῷ τᾷ τῷ τοῖς ταῖς τῶν

αἰτιατική τόν τάν τό τώς τάς τά

Chapter 2
02.01β.dor ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ

ᾱ̔ Ἑλήνᾱ πονεῖ καὶ ἐν τῶι ἀγρῶι καὶ ἐν τῶι οἴκωι. νῦν δὲ ἐν τῶι

ἀγρῶι πονεῖ. τί ποιεῖ; σκάπτει αὐτὸν. πρῶτον μὲν τὸν ἀγρὸν

σκάπτει, ἔπειτα δὲ λίθως ἐκφέρει ἐκ τοῦ ἀγροῦ. ἀπέραντος γάρ

ἐντιν ὁ πόνος τᾶς εἱλοτίδος. ἰσχῡρᾱ́ ἐστιν ἡ ἄνθρωπος, ἀλλὰ ἀεὶ

πονεῖ καὶ μάλιστα κάμνει. κατὰ ᾱ̓ μέρᾰν ὁ ἀέλιος φλέγει καὶ αὐτὰν
̄́ ει. οὐ δυνατόν ἐντιν καθίζην ὑπὸ δένδρωι οὐδὲ ἡσυχάζην.
κατατριβ

δι’ ὀλίγου γὰρ τοὶ δεσπόται ἐπαίροντιν αὐτάν. τέλος δὲ καταδῡ́ νει

ὁ ἀέλιος. οὐκέτι οὖν πονεῖ ᾱ̔ Ἑλήνᾱ ἀλλὰ βράδεως βαδίζει οἴκαδε.

νῦν δὲ δυνατόν ἐντιν ἡσυχάζην ὀλίγον χρόνον.

Doric features:
Adscript Iota

In this chapter, we’ve chosen to start using adscript, rather than

subscript, iota in long diphthongs, hence:

ωι < ῳ

ᾱι < ᾳ

ηι < ῃ

2nd κλίσις accusative plurals in ως instead of ους

λίθως (doric) < λίθους (attic)

This is because the ending is a contraction of a thematic ο and an

ος ending. Those contractions regularly lead to compensatory

lengthening, represented by ου in Attic, but ω in Doric.

Infinitives in η

The infinitive is typically formed by ε + εν, which results in the

spurious diphthong ει. Similar to the above ω for ου, Doric

sometimes produces η as the lengthened form of ει. We have

represented that here in the infinitives.

Words

ᾱ̓ μέρα (doric) < ἡμέρα (attic)

ἀέλιος (doric) < ἥλιος (attic)

Chapter 3
03.02α.dor ὁ δεσπότᾱς

ᾱ̔ Ἑλήνᾱ ἐκβαίνει ἐκ τῶ οἴκω, ὁ γὰρ δεσπότᾱς καλεῖ αὐτάν. ὁ Τέλλις

δεσπότης ἐντίν, χαλεπός τε καὶ ἰσχρῡρός· οὐ γὰρ πονεῖ, ἀλλὰ ἀεὶ

τύπτει τοὺς δούλους. αἰ μὴ πονεῖ δοῦλος, τύπτει αὐτὸν ὁ Τέλλις. νῦν

δὲ ᾱ̔ Τρύφᾱ καθεύδει ἐν τῶι οἴκωι. δούλᾱ ἐντὶν ᾱ̔ Τρύφᾱ, ὥσπερ ᾱ̔

Ἑλήνᾱ. ᾱ̔ Ἑλήνᾱ οὖν καλῆ αὐτὰν καὶ λέγει, «ἐλθὲ δεῦρο, ὦ Τρύφᾱ,

διὰ τί καθεύδεις; χαλεπός ἐντιν ὁ δεσπότᾱς.» ᾱ̔ οὖν Τρύφᾱ βραδέως

ἐκβαίνει ἐκ τῶ οἴκω. ὁ δὲ Τέλλις καλεῖ αὐτὰν καὶ λέγει· «διὰ τί οὕτω

ᾱ̓ ργᾱ́ ἐσσι; δούλᾱ. σπεῦδε.» τύπτει οὖν αὐτάν. χαλεπός ὁ δεσπότης.

λέγει οὖν ποτὶ τὰν Ἑλήνᾱν, «συλλάμβανε αὐτᾶι καὶ ἅμα φέρετε τὸ

ἄροτρον ποτὶ τὸν ἀγρόν, ἀλλὰ σπεύδετε, ὦ ᾱ̓ ργαί!» οὕτως λέγει ὁ

δεσπότᾱς καὶ ἐλαύνει αὐτας̄̀ ποτὶ τὸν ἀγρόν.

Doric Features
Forms of εἰμί to be

The stem of εἰμί is ἐσ-, and this persists in the 2nd singular. The 1st plural
forms in εἰμές, while both the 3rd sg and pl form in ἐντίν with ν for Attic ς.

εἰμί εἰμές

ἐσσί, ἐσσ’ ἐσθέ

ἐντί ἐντί
1st declension nouns
Where Attic has -της, these form in -τᾱς. The main example here is

δεσπότᾱς

Words

ποτί (doric) < πρός (attic)

Chapter 4
04.02β.dor ἁ δούλη οὐ φιλεῖ τὸν πόνον

πολὺν χρόνον ἐν τῶι ἀγρῶι πονεῖ ᾱ̔ Ἑλήνᾱ. τέλος δὲ ποτὶ τὸν οἶκον

βαδίζει. ᾱ̔ γὰρ Ἑλήνᾱ σφόδρα κάμνει. ἀλλὰ οὔπω δυνατόν ἐντιν

ἡσυχάζειν. ἐν γὰρ τῶι οἴκωι πονεῖ αὖθις. τέλος δὲ καθεύδει.

τᾶι δὲ ὑστεραίᾱι ἄωθεν ὁ Τέλλις ἐκ τῶ οἴκου ἐκβαίνει. τὰν δούλαν

καλεῖ καὶ λέγει «ὦ Ἑλήνα, ἐγὼ μὲν καλῶ τε. διὰ τί οὐκ ἐκβαίνεις; μὴ

κάθευδε, ἀλλὰ σπεῦδε. λάμβανε τὸ ἄροτρον καὶ φέρε ποτὶ τὸν

ἀγρόν. ὦ Τρύφα, ἐλθὲ δεῦρο καὶ τῡ́ .»

ᾱ̔ μὲν οὖν Ἑλήνᾱ ἐκβαίνει ἐκ τῶ οἴκω, ᾱ̔ δὲ Τρύφᾱ οὐκ ἐκβαίνει. ὁ

μὲν οὖν δεσπότᾱς λέγει τᾶι Ἑλήνᾱι, «ποῦ ἐντιν ᾱ̔ Τρύφᾱ;» ᾱ̔ δὲ

Ἑλήνᾱ οὐδὲν λέγει ἀλλὰ σῑγᾶι. καθεύδει γὰρ ᾱ̔ Τρύφᾱ. αὖθις οὖν ὁ

δεσπότᾱς λέγει, «τῡ̀ μέν, φέρε τὸ ἄροτρον ποτὶ τὸν ἀγρόν. ἐγὼ δὲ

ζητῶ τὰν εἱλοτίδα καὶ ἐλαύνω αὐτάν»

ᾱ̔ μὲν οὖν Ἑλήνᾱ λαμβάνει τὸ ἄροτρον καὶ φέρει ποτὶ τὸν ἀγρόν.

βαδίζει βράδεως ἡ εἱλωτίς. τὸ γὰρ ἄροτρον μέγα ἐντίν. ὁ δὲ

δεσπότᾱς εἰς τὸν οἶκον εἰσβαίνει.

ὁ Τέλλις ζητεῖ τὰν Τρύφαν καὶ λέγει «διὰ τί καθεύδεις, ὦ ᾱ̓ ργᾱ́ ; οὐ

φιλεῖς τὸν κλῆρον; οὐ φιλεῖς τὸν πόνον; δεσπότᾱς μὲν ἐγώ, φιλῶ δὲ

τέ. μὴ ᾱ̓ ργᾱ́ ἴσθι, ἀλλὰ πόνει.» τύπτει δὲ αὐτάν.

Doric Features
Pronoun Forms
The pronoun forms for the 1st and 2nd person singular differ in

Doric:

1st singular 2nd singular

εὐθεῖα ἐγώ, (ἐγών (γα)) τῡ́

γενική ἐμέος, ἐμεῦς, ἐμοῦς, τεῦ

ἐμῶς, proclitic -

μεθέν

δοτική ἐμίν, enclitic μοι τοί

αἰτιατική ἐμέ τε
Chapter 5
05.02γ.dor δούλᾱ καὶ δεσπότᾱς

ᾱ̔ μὲν οὖν Ἑλήνᾱ φέρει τὸ ἄροτρον, ὁ δὲ Τέλλις βαδίζει ὄπισθεν καὶ

ἐλαύνει αὐτάν. δι’ ὀλίγου εἰσάγει τὰν δούλᾱν εἰς τὸν ἀγρόν. ᾱ̔ δὲ

Ἑλήνᾱ βλέπει ποτὶ τοὺς ἄλλους δούλους. ᾱ̔ δὲ Τρύφᾱ οὐ πάρεστιν.

ὁ μὲν οὖν δεσπότᾱς βράδεως ποτιβαίνει καὶ λέγει, «διὰ τί οὐ πονεῖς,

δούλᾱ; πόταπτε τὸ ἄροτρον, λάμβανε τὸ σπέρμα, καὶ ὄπισθεν

βάδιζε.» μακρὸς ὁ πόνος ἐντίν. ᾱ̔ γὰρ Τρύφᾱ ἄπεστιν. τοὶ ἄλλοι δὲ

δούλοι συλλαμβάνοντι. εἷς αὐτῶν λέγει ποτὶ τὰν Ἑλήναν, «διὰ τί

οὕτως χαλεπός ἐντιν ὁ δεσπότᾱς;» φᾱτί, «ποῦ ἐντι ᾱ̔ Τρύφᾱ;» ᾱ̔ δὲ

Ἑλήνα σῑγᾶι καὶ οὐδὲν λέγει.

ὁ οὖν Τέλλις λέγει, «μὴ λέγετε, ἀλλὰ σπεύδετε, ὦ ᾱ̓ ργοί δούλοι.

φέρετε τὸ ζῦγον, ἕλκετε τὸ ἀγρόν, σπείρετε τὸ σπέρμα.» ἔπειτα δὲ

̄́
στενάζει ὁ ἀνήρ, «ὦ Ζάν, διὰ τί οὕτω ᾱ̓ ργοὶ τοὶ δούλοι; ῑ̔ λαως ἴσθι, ὦ

Ζάν» οὕτως φᾱτί, καὶ τύπτει τοὺς δούλους. τοῦτοι τοὶ δούλοι

βραδέως ἕλκοντι τὸ ἄροτρον καὶ ἀροτρεύοντι τὸν ἀγρόν.

Notes:

φᾱτί < φησί

πόταπτε < προσαπτε

Chapter 6
06.03α. φεῦ τῶν λίθων
̄́ ει τοὺς δούλους, τοὶ δὲ δούλοι
ὁ οὖν ἀέλιος φλέγει καὶ κατατριβ

ἕλκοντι τὸ ἄροτρον, ᾱ̔ δὲ Ἑλήνα σπείρει τὸ σπέρμα. ἰδοὺ δή, μένοντι

τοὶ δούλοι καὶ οὐκέτι ἕλκοντι τὸ ἄροτον. ὁ μὲν οὖν Τέλλις καλεῖ καὶ

«μὴ μένετε, ᾱ̓ ργοί εἵλωτες,» φᾱτί, «ἀλλὰ σπεύδετε.» τοὶ δὲ εἵλωτες

ἔτι μένοντι. οὐ γὰρ δυνατόν ἐντιν ἕλκην.

ὁ οὖν δεσπότᾱς βλέπει ποτὶ τὸ ἄροτρον, καὶ ἰδού, λίθος ἐμπροδίζει

αὐτό. καλεῖ οὖν τὰν δούλαν καὶ «ἐλθέ δεῦρο, ὦ εἱλωτίς,» φᾱτί, «καὶ

συλλάμβανε. αἴρε τὸν λίθον.»

ᾱ̔ οὖν Ἑλήνᾱ ταχέως ποτιχωρεῖ ἀλλὰ οὐκ αἴρει τὸν λίθον. μέγας γάρ

ἐντιν. «διὰ τί μένεις, δούλᾱ;» φᾱτὶ ὁ δεσπότᾱς, «λάμβανε τὸν λίθον

καὶ αἴρε αὐτόν.» ᾱ̔ δέ, «οὐ δυνατόν ἐντιν αἴρειν τὸν λίθον. οὐκ

οὕτως ἰσχῡρᾱ́ εἰμι.»

ὁ οὖν Τέλλις ποτὶ δοῦλον ἄλλον βλέπει καὶ λέγει, «τῡ́ δή, ἐλθὲ δεῦρο

καὶ συλλάμβανε.» οὗτος ὁ δοῦλος βραδέως ποτιχωρεῖ καὶ

συλλαμβάνει. ἅμα οὖν ᾱ̔ τε δούλᾶ καὶ ὁ δοῦλος αἴροντι τὸν λίθον

καὶ φέροντι ἐκ τῶ ἀγρῶ.

ἐν ᾧ δὲ φέροντιν τὸν λίθον, πολλάκιν καταβάλλοντι αὐτόν.

στενάζει οὖν ᾱ̔ Ἑλήνᾱ καὶ λέγει, «ὦ Ζάν, σώζε ἐμέ.» ἀλλὰ ὁ Ζὰν οὐδὲ

ποτιχωρεῖ οὐδὲ συλλάμβαν αὐτᾶι. ὁ δὲ δοῦλος «διὰ τί,» φησίν, «τῡ̀

καλεῖς τὸν Ζανᾶ; οὐδαμῶς ὁ Ζὰν συλλαμβάνει τοι.» ἔπειτα δὲ τοὶ

εἵλωτες αὖθις τὸν λίθον αἴροντι καὶ ἐκφέροντι ἐκ τῶ ἀγρῶ.