▁the ▁country , ▁taking ▁possession ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁fert ile ▁districts ▁and ▁comp elling ▁the ▁P era eb i , ▁Mag net es , ▁Ach ae an ▁Ph th iot ians ▁and ▁other ▁neighbour ing ▁people ▁to ▁submit ▁to ▁their ▁authority ▁and ▁to ▁pay ▁them ▁t ribute . ▁Like ▁La con ia , ▁the ▁population ▁of ▁Th ess aly ▁therefore ▁consisted ▁of ▁three ▁distinct ▁classes : ▁ ▁The ▁Pen est ae , ▁whose ▁condition ▁was ▁nearly ▁the ▁same ▁as ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁Hel ots . ▁ ▁The ▁subject ▁people , ▁who ▁inhab ited ▁the ▁districts ▁not ▁occupied ▁by ▁the ▁Th ess al ian ▁inv aders . ▁They ▁paid ▁t ribute , ▁as ▁stated ▁above , ▁but ▁were ▁personally ▁free , ▁though ▁they ▁had ▁no ▁share ▁in ▁the ▁government . ▁They ▁correspond ed ▁to ▁the ▁Per io e ci ▁of ▁La con ia , ▁by ▁which ▁name ▁they ▁are ▁called ▁by ▁X en oph on . ▁ ▁The ▁Th ess al ian ▁conquer ors , ▁who ▁alone ▁had ▁any ▁share ▁in ▁the ▁public ▁administration , ▁and ▁whose ▁lands ▁were ▁cultiv ated ▁by ▁the ▁Pen est ae . ▁ ▁For ▁some ▁time ▁after ▁the ▁con quest , ▁Th ess aly ▁seems ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁govern ed ▁by ▁k ings ▁of ▁the ▁race ▁of ▁Her acle idae , ▁who ▁may ▁however ▁have ▁been ▁only ▁the ▁heads ▁of ▁the ▁great ▁arist ocr atic ▁families , ▁inv ested ▁with ▁the ▁supre me ▁power ▁for ▁a ▁certain ▁time . ▁Under ▁one ▁of ▁these ▁princes , ▁named ▁Ale u as