Helots Of Sparta: Matt Boykin

While doing research for another class i recognized the importance of the slave class of people known as the helots. Helots is a term that refers to the specific group of people that are ruled by the Spartans.
The helots not only played a pivotal role in the early success of the Spartans but also were a thorn in their side. The Spartans always feared a complete dedication of sending soldiers far from home with the helots in their rear. There have been a numerous amounts of revolts recorded by ancient text writers. And it was one of these revolts after a great earthquake in Greece allowed for them to take advantage of the Spartans.
What also caught my attention was the role that the helots would take in the destruction of the Spartan society. It is hard to believe that the ultimate warriors of Greece were defeated due to a slave class, but it is what happened.
During the later years of the Spartan world, Thebes was a strong power that simply walked to Sparta's door and freed the Helot slaves. With the helots freed the Spartans had no source of income of resources or currency. So the Spartans were eventually dried up by the class which they persecuted for hundreds of years.