The 464 BC Sparta earthquake occurred along the Sparta fault in the year 464 BC destroying much of what was Sparta and many other city-states in ancient Greece. ... The earthquake gave Spartan helots an opportunity to revolt against their aristocratic rulers, and the Athenians were called to their aid.

When did Spartans revolt helots?

Around 660 B.C., the Spartans attacked the Argives, who demolished the Spartans. 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​.

What was the Helot revolt?

The pressure to reform the judicial system reached the boiling point when a crisis in foreign affairs heated up Athenian politics. The crisis began in 465 B.C. with a tremendous earthquake in Laconia, the territory of the Spartans in the Peloponnese.

Why did the Spartans declare war on the helots?

Owing to their own numerical inferiority, the Spartans were always preoccupied with the fear of a helot revolt. The ephors (Spartan magistrates) of each year on entering office declared war on the helots so that they might be murdered at any time without violating religious scruples.

What happened to the helots?

Helots were ritually mistreated, humiliated and even slaughtered: every autumn the Spartans would declare war on the helots so they could be killed by a member of the Crypteia without fear of religious repercussion. Uprisings and attempts to improve the lot of the helots did occur, such as the Conspiracy of Cinadon.

The Helots HSC

16 related questions found

Who were helots and what did they do?

In Ancient Sparta, the Helots were a subjugated population of slaves. Formerly warriors, the Helots outnumbered the Spartans considerably. During the time of the Battle of Plataea, which took place in 479 B.C., there were seven Helots for every Spartan.

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 Sparta need to maintain a strong army?

What did life in Sparta revolve around? ... Why was it necessary for Sparta to maintain a strong army? to control potential slave uprisings. What type of government did Sparta have?

Why did Sparta lose to Thebes?

Thebes defied the Spartans by leading a league of Boeotian city-states that Sparta was determined to suppress. ... Thebes was strong in cavalry but its infantry phalanx looked certain to lose against the experienced Spartans. Epaminondas improvised a major departure from Greek military convention.

What did helots eat?

What did helots eat? The Spartan diet overview Natural food, grown locally by the helots was were most of the Spartan diet would come from. The Spartan society was very self sufficient and this shines through in their approach to food. Common foods were meat and fish, with a wide variety of animals and fish consumed.

How did the helots influence the Spartan development of a strong military?

how did the helots influence the Spartan development of a strong military? ... They realized their vulnerability bc there were 20 times more than them, so they needed to make a STRONG military state.

How could the word helots be defined and explained?

1 Helot : a member of a class of serfs in ancient Sparta. 2 : someone held in forced servitude : an enslaved person or serf.

Who are helots quizlet?

The people who were defeated by Sparta who were forced to be slaves were called Helots. They worked mostly on farms and had to give the Spartans 1/2 of their crops. They rebelled many times and fought hard.

What was a phalanx explain?

1 : a body of heavily armed infantry in ancient Greece formed in close deep ranks and files broadly : a body of troops in close array. 2 plural phalanges : one of the digital bones of the hand or foot of a vertebrate. 3 plural usually phalanxes.

Which of the following describes the helots of Sparta?

Which of the following describes the helots of Sparta? They fought most of the wars. They performed farm work, gave half of their crops to Spartan citizens, and outnumbered Spartan citizens. ... They performed farm work, gave half of their crops to Spartan citizens, and outnumbered Spartan citizens.

Did the Thebans free the helots?

The Spartans, unwilling to engage the massive army in battle, simply defended their city, which the Thebans did not attempt to capture. ... Epaminondas freed the helots of Messenia, and rebuilt the ancient city of Messene on Mount Ithome, with fortifications that were among the strongest in Greece.

Who was Thebes biggest enemy?

Throughout the Classical Period, Thebes was one of Athens' biggest enemy poleis, and this complex relationship is often mirrored in the dramas that feature Thebes and Thebans in principal roles.

Who finally defeated the Spartans?

Sparta's defeat by Thebes in the Battle of Leuctra in 371 BCE ended Sparta's prominent role in Greece, but it maintained its political independence until the Roman conquest of Greece in 146 BCE. Sparta functioned under an oligarchy of two hereditary kings.

Did the Spartans really discard babies?

The ancient historian Plutarch claimed these “ill-born” Spartan babies were tossed into a chasm at the foot of Mount Taygetus, but most historians now dismiss this as a myth. If a Spartan baby was judged to be unfit for its future duty as a soldier, it was most likely abandoned on a nearby hillside.

Did 300 Spartans really happen?

In short, not as much as suggested. It is true there were only 300 Spartan soldiers at the battle of Thermopylae but they were not alone, as the Spartans had formed an alliance with other Greek states. It is thought that the number of ancient Greeks was closer to 7,000. The size of the Persian army is disputed.

Why did the Spartans place so much stress on military service?

Why did the Spartans place so much stress on military service? ... They were afraid that the helots might someday rebel, so Sparta made the government forced all boys and men to fight in war.

Why was oligarchy important to Sparta?

In the city-state of Sparta, an oligarchy controlled the power. The citizens had little say in the decisions made by the government but, at the time, this was the structure that existed. The Spartans gave up an emphasis on comfort and culture for a more disciplined military approach.

Why were ephors important to Sparta?

The ephors presided over meetings of the council of elders, or gerousia, and assembly, or apella, and were responsible for the execution of their decrees.

How did ephors give the Spartan assembly an important power?

Spartans valued people who fit in. ... How did ephors give the Spartan assembly an important power? They could remove a King. Why did Spartan males live in barracks?

Who freed the helots?

In 371, the Theban commander Epaminondas defeated the Spartans at Leuctra, and later, he invaded the Peloponnese, where he liberated the helots of Messenia. The helots of Laconia appear to have been emancipated later by the reformer kings Cleomenes III (235-222) and Nabis (207-192).