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Sparta HelotsOf all the Greek states it was Sparta that stood out in their fanatical beliefs about battle and war. They were the only city-state that had a full time army consisting of the entire male population. The one thing that made this possible was the helot. The helots were subjugated tribes that the Spartans held in slavery to perform all domestic trade and agriculture duties, thus freeing the citizen males to dedicat...

Slave revolt was always an undercurrent in this type of system. One way it was combated was through the activity of the secret service. This elite and covert organization consisted of warriors under the age of 30. They were charged with keeping any revolt talk or action in check through whatever means necessary. This special op group would serve for two years. They frequently roamed at night and killed any helot found out of doors. They could eve...

They did not fight as one individual which was often the case with other armies, but as one unit combining strengths of the majority. This allowed them to stand tall in the face of adversity when other military units would fall apart. The Spartan battle tactic centered on a close rank advance that few could stand against. A toughened Spartan unit with no fear, standing shoulder to shoulder was an unnerving sight to behold. The advance was...