The Five Tribes of the Spartoi
The noble class in the City of Thebai is formed by a loosely structured confederation of tribes, traditionally descended from the five original Spartoi: Echion, Udaius, Chthonius, Hyperenor and Pelorus.
Each tribe maintains 18 to 23 noble houses called, collectively, the Hundred Houses. At any given time, some small houses are at risk of dying off while larger houses have the potential to be split., but through carefully arranged marriages, strict rules of inheritance, and occasional instances of population control, the number of recognized houses has remained stable for dozens of generations.
Each house, or oikos, is a government in miniature, ruled by a lord and lady, populated by their immediate family, and served by slaves and peasant workers. The capital of most oikoi is a residential household in the City of Thebai. Five are located within the Citadel of Kalydnus, while 95 are located in the Kadmeian neighborhood surrounding the Citadel.
Most oikoi have an extended family size that requires additional households, often located on an estate that's worked either by the free residents of a village or a portion of a town that's shared among a number of nearby oikos estates. The product of the estate supports the oikos, with a percentage going to the king.
Structure
A meeting of oikos leaders within each tribe is held on an annual basis, where grievances are aired, new children celebrated, and matches made. A regular meeting of all clans is held every five years, although a special meeting can be held at a shorter interval in an emergency.
The leaders of the five tribes also serve as ministers and counselors in the court of the king. Their oikoi are the ones located within the citadel proper.
Public Agenda
To prop up the Spartoi noble class in any way possible.
History
The Spartoi are descendants of five soldiers who crawled from the ground, full-grown and fully armored, after Kadmos sowed fifty Dragon Teeth into the soil. After the ensuing bloodbath, these five survivors swore allegence to Kadmos and became his ruling class. They were: Echion, Udaeus, Chthonius, Hyperenor and Pelorus.
Each of the five highest-ranked houses claim direct descent from one of these, with Kreon being the current Lord of the House of Echion.
Military
Each house provides manpower for the king's army, these days usually from the peasant or slave ranks.
Religion
Ares is the patron of most individual Spartoi houses and of the confederation in general.
Agriculture & Industry
Most agriculture and industry in the Kingdom of Thebai is maintained by the confederation, although the king retains ownership of all land and can redistribute resources as he sees fit.
Type
Political, Confederation
Legislative Body
The Victory Council is made up of representatives from the five unbroken line houses: Echion, Udaeus, Chthonius, Hyperenor and Pelorus.
Subsidiary Organizations
Location
Related Ethnicities
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