These were each essential for the economy to function and allowed for the ruling Spartiate citizens to focus on their military activities, which they used in return to control the helots and engage in a business relationship with the perioikoi. ... It is often stated that the one of main reasons for Sparta's transformation into a military state after the savage second Messenian War in the 6th century was to create a state of soldiers to effectively control the helots, who vastly outnumbered the Spartiates. This represented a weakness in the state and economic structure that hindered its p...

• Word Count: 2813
• Approx Pages: 11
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• Grade Level: Graduate