... it is the area of society relying on the far more numerous non-citizen bodies that are of interest. Sparta was the only Greek state, which held in subjugation large numbers of fellow Greeks and, as part of this, it is important to remember that that the Spartans ritually invoked war on the helots every year. The role of the Helots was not merely important in freeing up the citizen body but also to help maintain the sense of equality among the citizen body2. However while Sparta tried to deliberately avoid creating a class structure among its citizens, the existence of helotage ensured that there was always the possibility of a class war and opportunity for large-scale revolt. It was imperative for Sparta to keep the helots in check, since, if they were to lose control of them, they knew that the sheer numbers of helots meant that it would be ...

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