and they'd come home

他们一回到家
and find their wives and children with their throats cut.

就会发现他们的妻儿全都给割断了喉咙
They were in constant terror and they had to live a life

他们成天担惊受怕
that required all sorts of things that they might not have liked to do,

因而不得不干各种他们可能不愿干的事情
in order to repress the slave population on which they relied,

去压制他们赖以生存的奴隶阶层
and that is what I want to communicate.

这就是我要说的
The Spartans, after the two Mycenaean Wars,

斯巴达在两次迈锡尼战争后
were in constant fear.

也是终日惴惴不安
I think it's not too strong a word

我觉得这么说绝不过分
of helot rebellions,

他们对奴隶起义终日惴惴不安
which might then be assisted by neighboring states

因为类似起义很可能会得到
that were jealous or disliked the Spartans.

那些嫉妒或者怨恨斯巴达的邻邦的支持