Explain the economic and military role of the Perioeci and Helots.

Many people forget or undermine the importance of the perioeci and the helots in their study of Sparta, dismissing both groups as only slaves or inferiors that later overthrew the Spartiates. In truth, the perioeci and the helots both played an important role in the economic and military aspects of Spartan society, and contributed much to Sparta's fame and military prowess. For the Spartan citizens, the other aspects of their life were left to the …

…Sparta, where a force of 700 helots were armed as hoplites and sent to aid the Chalcidians during the Peloponnesian War. From this, we can see that both the perioeci and helots played an important role in the economy and military life of Sparta. Without the perioeci and the helots, the Spartans would not have been able to concentrate solely on honing their fighting skills, and Spartan society would certainly not have flourished as it did.