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.
The ancient Spartans used serfs that they called 'helots' to do the work and keep their economy running.
Yes, Sparta had slaves, known as helots. The helots were a subjugated population primarily made up of people from conquered regions like Messenia and Laconia. Unlike typical slaves in other societies, helots were not individually owned but were considered property of the Spartan state. They worked the land and produced food, which supported the Spartan citizens (the Spartiates), allowing them to focus on military training and governance. The relationship between Spartans and helots was complex and often harsh. Helots were frequently oppressed and humiliated to keep them subservient, and Spartans would sometimes engage in rituals and even organized killings to instill fear and prevent rebellion. Despite their low status, helots were crucial to Sparta's economy and society, enabling the city-state to maintain its intense military culture.
The slaves who worked at hard labor in Sparta were known as Helots. They were primarily tasked with agricultural labor and served as a labor force for the Spartans.
In Sparta, slaves were known as helots and were considered the property of the state. Helots were subjected to harsh treatment, forced labor, and were often mistreated by their Spartan masters. They lived in a state of perpetual servitude and had limited rights and freedoms.
For the Spartiates (the Hoplite soldiers) at the head of the Spartan society to dedicate their lives to the feats of war, someone has to till the fields, forge the steel and harvest the crops.So for around 10,000 hoplites and their families they enslaved an enormous number of fellow Greeks including the entire population of Messenia after 2 bloody wars.They wanted a utopia to live in, and what better utopia than everybody doing the work for you! In order to keep the massively outnumbering slave population from revolting, young, highly trained Spartan boys ranging from around 13-16 roamed the countryside day or night, killing any helots (slaves) they met along the way. A reign of sheer terror was the underbelly of the Spartiates' utopia.
If the helots defeated the Spartans, the Spartans, being defeated, could not do anything to them.
Helots
The Helots were the Spartans slaves. If the Spartans treated them well they would have been more likely to successfully rebel.
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Spartans needed to be able to keep helots at bay
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.
Helots
The spartan economy did not have coins, but they used iron bars to give value. The Spartans were not big on trade, so they conquered neighboring lands to get food and supplies. Helots-captuered slaves-did a lot of dirty work.
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