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See also: ancient See also: Sparta, founded, according to See also: Aristotle, by Lycurgus; there is, however, no real evidence as to the date of its origin
.
The institution was under the supervision of the ephors, who, on entering office, annually proclaimed war against the See also: helots (serf-class) and thus absolved from the See also: guilt of See also: murder any Spartan who should slay a helot
.
It was instituted primarily as a precaution against the ever-See also: present danger of a helot revolt, and secondarily perhaps as a training for See also: young Spartans, who were sent out by the ephors to keep See also: watch on the helots and assassinate any who might appear dangerous
.
See also: Plato (See also: Laws, i. p
.
633; emphasizes the former aspect, but there can be little doubt that, at all events after the revolt of 464 (see CIM0N), its more sinister purpose was predominant, as we may gather from the secret See also: massacre of 2000 helots who, on the invitation of the ephors, claimed to have rendered distinguished service (Thuc. iv
.
8o)
.
See HELOTS; See also: EPHOR; also A
.
H
.
J
.
Greenidge, Handbook of Gk
.
Const
.
Hist
.
( See also: London, 1896) ; G
.
See also: Gilbert, Gk
.
Const
.
Antiq
.
(Eng. trans., London, 1895)
.
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