Epeunacti ( grc, ἐπεύνακτοι) or Epeunactae (ἐπευνακταί), were a class of citizens in ancient Sparta. They were Helots who slept with the widows of Spartans when Sparta had manpower shortage because of war casualties. During a war with the

Messenians Messenia or Messinia ( el, Μεσσηνία) was an ancient district of the southwestern Peloponnese, more or less overlapping the modern Messenia region of Greece. To the north it had a border with Elis along the Neda river. From there the borde ...

, the Lacedaemonians lost many men. Being afraid that their enemies will become aware of their situation, they "put Helots into the beds of those who were dead" (that's why the name, from ἐπὶ (into) and εὐνὴ (bed)). Afterwards, they made those men citizens.Athenaeus, The Deipnosophists, 6.101
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Sicyon Sicyon (; el, Σικυών; ''gen''.: Σικυῶνος) or Sikyon was an ancient Greek city state situated in the northern Peloponnesus between Corinth and Achaea on the territory of the present-day regional unit of Corinthia. An ancient mona ...

, there were people who were called Catonacophori (κατωνακοφόροι) who were very similar to the Epeunacti. Numa Denis Fustel de Coulanges mentions that there was a hierarchy of classes superposed one above the other in the Spartan society. If the Helots and the Laconians are left out, the hierarchy would be as follows: first there were the Neodamodes (former slaves freed), then the Epeunactae, then the Mothaces (very similar to domestic clients) and then the bastards (who though descended from true Spartans, were separated). Page:The Ancient City- A Study on the Religion, Laws, and Institutions of Greece and Rome.djvu/466

References

{{reflist Social classes of Sparta Slavery in ancient Greece