As I remember, it wasn’t the Helots who freed themselves but citizens of other polis in Greece (particularly Athens), offended that the ‘people of the Odessey’ were in bondage. The war weakened the southern city-states enough that Philip of Macedon (yeah, Alexander’s dad) could conquer.

I, unfortunately, went to see the 300, thinking that it might have something to do with what actually happened with Leonidas and his relatively few Spartans and Helots holding against the Persians. BTW, it was necessary for the Persians to pass on land as the navy of Athens was holding them at sea — and also BTW, Israel was part of the Persian empire at the time and there likely were Israelites in that Persian army,