Editing Helots (section)

=== Emancipation ===
According to [[Myron of Priene]], cited by Athenaeus,<ref>Athenaeus. ''The Deipnosophists'', VI, 271F.</ref> the emancipation of helots was "common" ({{lang|grc|πολλάκις}} / ''pollákis''). The text suggests that this is normally associated with completion of military service. The first explicit reference to this practice in regards to the helots occurs in [[Thucydides]] (IV, 26, 5). This is on the occasion of the events at [[Battle of Sphacteria|Sphacteria]], when Sparta had to relieve their [[hoplites]], who were besieged on the island by the [[Athenian democracy|Athenians]]:

<blockquote>The fact was, that the Lacedaemonians had made advertisement for volunteers to carry into the island ground corn, wine, cheese, and any other food useful in a siege; high prices being offered, and freedom promised to any of the helots who should succeed in doing so.<ref name="Thucyd">Thucydides. ''The Peloponnesian War''. London, J. M. Dent; New York, E. P. Dutton. 1910. Online at the [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Thuc.+toc Perseus project]. Accessed: 11 June 2006.</ref></blockquote>

Thucydides reports that the request met with some success, and the helots got supplies through to the besieged island. He does not mention whether or not the Spartans kept their word; it is possible that some of the helots later executed were part of the Sphacterian volunteers but later said they kept their word.{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}}

Another such call came during the Theban invasion of Laconia in one of the decisive battles of Peloponnese wars. [[Xenophon]] in ''Hellenica'' (VI, 5, 28) states that the authorities agreed to emancipate all the helots who volunteered. He then reports that more than 6,000 heeded the call, leading to some embarrassment for the Spartans, who were initially overwhelmed by the number. Xenophon states that the Spartans' fears were assuaged when they received aid from their allies and Boeotian mercenary forces.

All the same, in 424 BC, the 700 helots who served [[Brasidas]] in [[Chalcidice]] were emancipated, and they were henceforth known as the "Brasidians". It was also possible to purchase freedom, or achieve it by undergoing the traditional Spartan education. Generally, emancipated helots were referred to as "[[neodamodes]]" ({{lang|grc|νεοδαμώδεις}} / ''neodamōdeis''): those who rejoined the {{lang|grc|δῆμος}} / ''dễmos'' ([[Deme]]) of the [[Perioeci]].

[[Moses Finley]] underscores that the fact helots could serve as hoplites constituted a grave flaw in the system. In effect, the hoplite system was a strict method of training to ensure that discipline was maintained in the [[Phalanx formation|phalanx]]. The Spartans gained considerable reputation as hoplites, due to tactical capabilities developed through constant training. In addition to this military aspect, to be a hoplite was a key characteristic of Greek citizenship.
To introduce helots to this system thus led to inevitable social conflict.{{Citation needed|date=December 2010}}