"Lycurgus' second, and most revolutionary, reform was his redistribution of the land. For there was dreadful inequality: many destitute people without means were congregating in the city, while wealth had poured completely into just a few hands. In order to expel arrogance, envy, crime, luxury and those yet older and more serious political afflictions, wealth and poverty, Lycurgus persuaded the citizens to pool all the land and then redistribute it afresh. Then they would all live on equal terms with one another, with the same amount of property to support each, and they would seek to be first only in merit. There would be no distinction or inequality between individuals except for what censure of bad conduct or praise of good would determine.”
- Plutarch Life of Lycurgus
“For we find that some Spartans have far too much property, others very little indeed; the land has come into the possession of a small number… For their lawgiver… left it open for anyone to transfer land to other ownership by gift or bequest… Moreover, something like two-fifths of all the land is possessed by women… But it is obvious that if many sons are born and the land distributed accordingly, many must inevitably become poorer"
- Aristotle
‘The helots were in fact the foundation…of the entire Spartan political, military, social and economic edifice.’
-Paul Cartledge