Why did the helots revolt against the Spartans?

They worked for Sparta in general, and since the Dorians couldn’t do agriculture, they made the Helots do the work. The report of Sparta’s lost gave encouragement to the Helots who started a revolt against Sparta, which is now known as the Second Messenian War​.

Did helots fight with Spartans?

Unlike many slaves, the Helots were Greeks who outnumbered the Spartans who held mastery over them. They several times rebelled against the Spartan rulers, at last successfully. Yet it seems that Helots in large numbers accompanied the Spartans’ into battle.

Why were the helots so important to the Spartans?

The people of Messene were taken hostage as slaves or helots and were used to farm the lands they had once possessed. The helots’ work helped to make Sparta a wealthy city, and in time they became trusted members of Spartan families. Helots could also seek their freedom by volunteering for military engagements.

Did helots fight in the phalanx?

Although Ducat does not believe that the Helots could have been in the same phalanx as the Spartiates, he does admit that they fought in the battle and were honored with a tomb as a result (J.

How did the Helots help the Spartans survive?

They ploughed fields, grew olives, made wine, took care of homes, constructed buildings, worked as artisans or tradesmen, carried the Spartans weapons into the battle, cleaned their armour, cooked their food, and everything in between.

Why did the use of phalanx affect politics?

The use of the phalanx affected politics because the phalanx allowed more people to defend Athens and most of these people weren’t rich, but they were able to have a say in the government and gain power because if the aristocrats didn’t at least listen to them they might lose the support of their army.

How did the hoplites fight?

Battles were fought on level ground, and hoplites preferred to fight with high terrain on both sides of the phalanx so the formation could not be flanked. Before the opposing phalanxes engaged, the light troops would skirmish with the enemy’s light forces, and then protect the flanks and rear of the phalanx.

How did the phalanx impact Greek culture?

As a unit, men were arranged in a phalanx formation—a set of closely packed ranks, usually eight men deep. With the development of the hoplite phalanx, war was no longer merely an act to accrue honor and loot; it became a matter of defending one’s land and livelihood. Moreover, warfare became more egalitarian.

Who were the helots of Sparta?

Unlike many slaves, the Helots were Greeks who outnumbered the Spartans who held mastery over them. They several times rebelled against the Spartan rulers, at last successfully. Yet it seems that Helots in large numbers accompanied the Spartans’ into battle.

Why didn’t the Spartans send their hoplites abroad to fight?

During the Persian Wars, for instance, the Spartans were not too eager to send their hoplites abroad to fight for the freedom of Greece. This was due to the fear that the Helots would revolt when the Spartan army was fighting away from home. Despite these and other precautions, several revolts by the Helots took place over the centuries.

How long did it take to put down the helots?

The Helots seized on the occasion of Sparta’s defeat by Argos at the Battle of Hysiae to launch a revolt. It took the Spartans nearly 20 years to put down the rebellion.

What happened to the helots in ancient Greece?

The surviving Helots were taken by Athens and settled on Naupactus on the Corinthian Gulf. Spartan treatment of Helots improved overtime, perhaps as a means of appeasing them. For instance, Helots could hope to be emancipated, and it is known that groups of Helots were sometimes liberated. Nevertheless, the system collapsed in the 4 th century BC.