Hectémore

A hectémore is a peasant of particular legal category, in ancient Greece (in particular with Athens). The known sources do not make it possible, today, to know the real statute of the hectémores. Neither Aristote nor Plutarque specifies the term in their writings and this statute disappears with the reforms from Solon.

The etymology makes it possible however to know that there was a ratio of 1/6 in their obligations. Several assumptions were then made:

they rented a ground which they exploited and the rent was paid with the sixth of their harvests
they cleared a ground not exploited for a 5 years lease (or 6 years?)
they profited from a help to clear a not exploited ground and devaien to refund this help with the sixth of harvests
they were associated with a backer with a contract of complant, which then enabled them to profit from the sixth of the ground cultivated in Olive tte (or perhaps of the 5/6?)

Always is it that the hectémores were relatively dependant, in particular in the event of agrarian crisis.

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