Demosioi

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Demosioi or Demosii (Ancient Greek: δημόσιοι, singular Demosios) were a class of public slaves in the system of slavery in ancient Greece at Athens, who were bought and owned by the state itself.

The most numerous class were the toxotai (τοξόται) or scythai (Σκύθαι), a force of police also called Speusinioi (Σπευσίνιοι), who served under officers called toxarchoi (τόξαρχοι).^[1][2][3]

Their duty was to preserve order in the assembly, courts, public places, and public works. They were at first encamped in tents in the agora, and afterwards removed to the Areopagus. Certain of them were in personal attendance on officials, for example the Prytaneis,^[4][5] Probuli^[6]--especially police-officers: Astynomi, Agoranomi^[7][8] The corps dated from the year of the Battle of Salamis, that is, 480 BCE, when 300 were bought; they were later increased to 1200.^[9][10][11]

Executioners and torturers and similar roles, whether police or not, were also slaves.^{[12][13][14][15][16]} Demosioi were also employed in the treasury, in subordinate places in the assembly and courts, as checking-clerks (antigrapheis, or ἀντιγραφεῖς); their amenability to torture making them especially serviceable for such duties. The state undertook their training.^{[17][18][19][20]}

There were also slave workmen in the mint, as also in the mines.^[21] Exceptionally, as at Arginusae, demosioi rowed in the galleys. Their legal status in the Athenian state was complicated.^{[22][23][24][25][26]}