Helots were serfs - that is they were bound to their plot of land, and to deliver part of its produce to the owner, the city-state of Sparta.
Helots
Depends. What the heck are helots?
The Helots were not Spartan citizens ; they were essentially slaves .
Helots were important because they revolted often. The average Spartan citizen had 12 helots to himself. So, the helots outnumbered the Spartans. The helots' large rebellions caused the Spartans to strenghten their army. This constant test of military ability made the Spartan military strong and powerful.
The city-states of warrior and helots refers to the current city of Sparta. The helots were originally free Greeks from the areas of Messenia.
The Helots were a subjugated population in Laconia and Messenia, a territory controlled by Sparta
If the helots defeated the Spartans, the Spartans, being defeated, could not do anything to them.
Spartans needed to be able to keep helots at bay
They are not Greek, they are Dorians. They raided from the north and enslaved the helots and settled near the helots.
The helots were the state-owned serfs of the Spartans. They were most likely Laconian and Messenian. There was a greater number of helots than Spartans, therefore each year when a Spartan Magistrate took office he declared war on the helots. This meant that the helots could be murdered at any time. The Krypteia, or the Spartan secret police, also routinely killed helots.
Spartan Slaves, or to be more accurate, serfs, were called helots. Sparta became the military state as most know it by today after a revolution of the helots, in which many Spartans died, but were able to gain control over the helots and began to build a viscous army
The Spartans believed that the helots were a threat to their society due to their large numbers and the potential for uprising. Therefore, they justified the killing of helots as a means of maintaining control and order in their society.