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They were in reality serfs (helots) - that is bound to the soil to produce food to support the Spartans who were thus released for military training and activity.

This meant that they farmed the land as subsistence farmers and paid a percentage of their produce to their Spartn masters.

As they outnumbered the Spartan citizens by about seven to one, there was always a fear of uprising, so the ephors (magistrates) were tasked with control of them, essentially done by arranging the murder of activists who may have promoted rebellion.

When a Spartan expeditionary force was dispatched, they took seven serfs for each warrior to balance the numbers remaining at home with the number of citizens left at home. Those accompanying the force were employed as servants and light infantry, using javelins, bows, rocks etc. At the battle of Thermopylai ther were 2,000 helots fighting alongsideh the 300 Spartan warriors, and they lost their lives along with the Spartans.

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