Why did the slaves revolt in Sparta?

Answer 1

Large numbers of the slaves in Sparta were Helots. As they outnumbered the Spartans by seven to one, they were treated harshly in efforts to keep them under control. This had the opposite effect in many cases as there were several Helot rebellions. Every autumn, Sparta would offer open season on the Helots by declaring war on them so any Spartan could kill a Helot without fear of reprisal. Efforts were made to treat the Helots in the worst way imaginable. They were assigned tasks for the sole purpose of disgracing them. Each had to wear a dog skin cap and wrap themselves in skins. They were required to receive a stipulated number of beatings each year, even if they had done nothing wrong. This was to make them always remember they were slaves. Anyone treating the Helots any better than poorly subjected themselves to punishment as well.

Answer 2

The problem was with serfs - the people of Messenia which was taken over by Sparta. The population was bound to the land and had to deliver a percentage of their produce to the state (= serf).

They were so numerous that each Spartan citizen was allocated the payment of seven serfs (helots) to maintain them so that they could devote their main effort to military training. When a major military expedition was mounted, it meant that the number of Spartans left behind had to face an overwhelming number of restive serfs, so the expeditionary force took with it seven serfs for each armoured warrior (hoplite) to reduce the risk at home - these were used as light infantry, bowmen etc on the campaign. At the battle of Plataea the Spartan contingent comprised 5,000 Spartan hoplites and 35,000 helot light infantry. At Thermopylae the Spartan contingent of 300 hoplites had 2100 light infantry, who went down with the hoplites, so the famous 300 was really 2,400.

After years of taking casualties in wars, the number of Spartan hoplites dwindled seriously, and serfs were recruited during the Peloponnesian War as hoplites on promise of release from serfdom (their own plot of land) if they served well.

Answer 3

Sparta was a war base society, every boy at the age of 5-7 was put into a program in which they were trained to be tough and ruthless. To answer your question they killed people because it was bred into their children to kill since the age of 5.