Wealth among Sparta's elite was steadily declining throughout the 5th and 4th centuries BCE and this was a problem that was recognized but not sufficiently addressed by the Spartan oligarchic leaders. Hodkinson explains that the greed of wealthy rulers was one of the main reasons for the decline of Sparta's Spartan class. The wealthy of Sparta ignored the economic struggles of the lower classes because their own wealth increased. This resulted in the shrinking of the Spartan class within Sparta and was one of the reasons for the state's eventual loss of control over the surrounding area..