What was the relationship between the Spartans, Helots and Perioikoi

(Thuc IV.26) "The fact was that the Spartans had called for volunteers to bring into the island ground corn, wine, cheese and any other form of food useful in a siege. Large rewards of money were offered and their freedom was promised to any helots who succeeded in bringing the food in."

The Helots had a huge impact on Spartan foreign policy. Fear of a Helot result meant that the Spartans were afraid of foreign contacts or visitors who might encourage the Helots to revolt. It also meant that the Spartans were hesitant to become involved in military campaigns far from home in case the Helots used the army's absence as an opportunity to revolt. This cautious attitude is reflected by Thucydides' comment.

(Thuc IV.80) "Spartan policy with the regard to the helots had always been based almost entirely on the idea of security."

Helots were state owned serfs and as such they were protected by the state. The state relied heavily on their Helot population for survival, therefore to kill or injure a Helot without reason was a serious crime.

The Helots were not the property of their Spartan 'master,' and the state would allow no unauthorized injustices to be dealt them.

Politically and legally Helots had no rights at all. The state was free to send them or dispose of them wherever they saw fit. The Helots could not vote and could not hold property.

Helots out numbered Homoioi at least twenty to one and were therefore the subject of continual suspicion. The Spartans created an elite secret police known as the Krypteria. The Krypteria were responsible for keeping the Helots under control. We are told by Plutarch that every year the Spartan Ephors declared war on the Helots and sporadically launched campaigns of terror and violence against them.

"The Ephors would declare war on the Helots, so that they could be killed without pollution."

In conclusion the helots were the slaves and property of the Spartan state that were in charge of the Spartan agriculture system they were basically the backbone of Spartan life in the sense that with out food Spartan citizens would starve.

Above the helots in status, were the Perioikoi. Ephorus says that they were the original Achaeaii inhabitants of the country, that for the first generation after the Dorian invasion they shared in the status with the invaders. But later this was taken from them and they were reduced to a condition and forced to pay tribute.

They possessed personal freedom and an amount of communal independence. They were however apparently under the immediate supervision of Spartan harmosts (governors). Isocrates says (xii. 181) that the ephors might put to death without trial as many of the Perioikoi as they pleased. It is certain that they were excluded from all Spartan offices of state, but even from the assembly. They were an absolute subject to Spartan orders.

They were also obliged to pay the royal tribute, probably a rent for domain-land which they occupied, and to render military service. The number of men grew greater as time went on; 5000 Spartiates and 5000 Perioikoi hoplites fought at Plataea in 479 B.C.

(Herodotus IX:II) "With them went 5000 picked Lacedaemonian troops drawn from outlying towns."

But the steady decrease in the number of the Spartiates required the increasing employment of the Perioikoi. The Perioikoi might serve as petty officers or even rise to divisional commands, especially in the navy, but were never placed over Spartiates. At the beginning of the 4th century the Perioikoi were fairly contented, and only two of their cities joined the rebellious helots in 464 B.c.

(Thuc. I. 101) "and by the simultaneous revolt and secession to Ithome of the Helots and some of the Perioikoi, the Thuriats and the Aethaeans."

Because the prohibition which meant that every Spartiate from manufacture and commerce left the industry and trade of Laconia entirely in the hands of the Perioikoi. Unlike the Helots they did possess gold, silver and the iron and steel produce from the mines on Mt Taygetus, the import and export trade of Laconia and Messenia probably enabled at least some of them to live in an ease and comfort unknown to their Spartan rulers.

Spartan military training began at age 7 and as previously said they had to steal food to survive. After 11 years of training they joined the active army and lived in the local barracks until age 30. Once they turned 30 the state gave them land, a house, and helots to work the land.

Because of the pressures of keeping the Helots down Spartan society needed to be left alone. If too many Spartan males left or were killed then the Helots would rise up. Spartans used Iron currency since no one else would want it. While the rest of Greece switched to trade, the Spartan Helots remained farmers.

Sparta is a perfect democracy since every citizen receives the same wealth. They all vote and they can all hold government positions.

In conclusion I feel that the Spartan society treated the Helots as dirt and they only had respect for them when they were fighting at their side. How ever they did rely on the Helots to provide the food for the Spartan army. The Spartans treated the Perioikoi much better than the Helots because they were half citizens, the Perioikoi were by far the best friends Spartans had because they did not revolt and they even fought in battle many times. Therefore the helots were in Spartan eyes as scum of the earth and the Perioikoi were half citizens who had some privileges.