Demosioi

Demosioi or Demosii (Ancient Greek: δημόσιοι, singular Demosios) generally referred to a class of public slaves in the system of slavery in ancient Greece at Athens, who were bought and owned by the state itself. They may in some cases have been privately-owned slaves leased to the state. Their legal status in the Athenian state was complicated.

Demosios was a word that meant "public" or "of the state", but when used in the plural generally referred to this social class of public slaves. However the word had other applications. Some priesthoods were referred to as demosioi, presumably not because they were slaves, but on account of some state relationship. The word could also be used -- as in the phrase demosioi aethloi -- to refer to the various athletic games sponsored by the state.