Epeunacti () or Epeunactae (ἐπευνακταί), were a class of citizens in ancient Sparta. They were

Helots The helots (; , ''heílotes'') were a subjugated population that constituted a majority of the population of Laconia and Messenia – the territories ruled by Sparta. There has been controversy since antiquity as to their exact characteristic ...

who either slept with the widows of Spartans when Sparta had manpower shortage because of war casualties, or outright replaced the fallen Spartans as soldiers. During a war with the

Messenians Messenia () 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 border with Arcadia ran along the to ...

, 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
/ref> In

Sicyon Sicyon (; ; ''gen''.: Σικυῶνος) or Sikyōn 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. The ruins lie just west of th ...

, there were people who were called Catonacophori (κατωνακοφόροι) who were very similar to the Epeunacti.

Numa Denis Fustel de Coulanges Numa Denis Fustel de Coulanges (; 18 March 1830 – 12 September 1889) was a French historian. Biography Coulanges was born in Paris; he was of Breton descent. After studying at the École Normale Supérieure, he attended the French School at ...

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 serfs 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