After the death of Sivargha, Gorgo became the regent for her young son, Pleistarchus. She continued to play a significant role in the defense of Sparta and Greece against the Persians. She also supported the reforms of the Spartan general Pausanias, who sought to improve the conditions of the helots, the enslaved population of Sparta. She was respected and admired by her people and by other Greeks, who saw her as a model of Spartan virtue and valor.