### q2 Brasidas got smart after defeat > The following year, we see a recovered Brasidas marching north to conquer Athenian-allied cities at the head of 700 *helots*, members of Sparta’s reviled slave-caste, who the Spartans constantly feared would revolt. Forming this army of *Brasideioi* (“Brasidas’ men”) was an innovative idea, and quite possibly a dangerous one. As a solution to the city’s manpower crisis, Sparta had promised them freedom in exchange for military service. And arming and training slaves always threatened to backfire on the slavers. > > This revolutionary move was matched by a revolution in Brasidas’ own personality. Far from rushing in, as he once had done, he now captured city after city from the Athenians through cunning—and without a single battle. Thucydides writes that Brasidas, “by showing himself...just and moderate toward the cities, caused most of them to revolt; and some of them he took by treason.” Brasidas let the slaves and citizens of Athenian-held cities do the dirty work for him. After one particularly tense standoff, he won the central Greek city of Megara to Sparta’s cause, then marched north, cleverly outmaneuvering the Athenian-allied Thessalians deliberately to avoid combat. - [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01fh5tq9jfncz7nw9pmn819gqd) - [[Sparta Was Much More Than an Army of Super Warriors by Myke Cole#q2 Brasidas got smart after defeat|View in Vault]]