Athens v. Sparta

A long time ago, in a land far far away... During the 5th century BCE, Greece was dominated by two powers: Athens and Sparta These city-states were VERY different in structure and beliefs

Athens Sparta Head of the Delian League Power was based in command of the sea (super strong navy) Head of the Peloponnesian League Great land power and controlled many neighboring territories whose peoples were enslaved

Athens Sparta About 150,000 people (40K citizens, 40K slaves, 70K aliens, women, children By 432 BCE, Athens is the most populous city- state About 115,000 people 8,000 citizens (adult males) 7,000 women and children 100,000 slaves and semi-freed

Government Athens Sparta Classified as a “direct democracy” Claims to be the birthplace of democracy Classified as an oligarchy Had elements of: monarchy (rule by kings), democracy (election of council/senators) and aristocracy (rule by upper class)

Government: Athens Elected officials: 10 generals, magistrates (judges) Council of 500: administered the decisions made by the Assembly Assembly: open to all citizens, passed laws and made policy decisions Did women participate in the political life of Athens?

Government: Sparta Two kings: generals in charge of the armies, some religious duties Five overseers: elected annually (every year), ran the day- to-day operations, could veto decisions made by the Council or Assembly Council of Elders: 28 men over 60 y.o. and elected for life by the citizens and the 2 kings, acted as judges and proposed laws to the Assembly Assembly: all male citizens 30 or older, voted on proposed laws by shouting out their votes Did women participate in the political life of Sparta?

Social Structure: Athens Freemen: all male citizens, divided into three classes: Aristocrats--owned large estates, made up cavalry or was a captain on a boat Small farmers Thetes--urban craftsman and boat rowers Metics: aliens (not born in Athens, not citizens), couldn’t own land but could run businesses and industries (manufacturing) Slaves: less harshly treated in Athens than most other Greek city-states, had no rights and an owner could kill a slave. Some were given important roles (like policemen) Women had no rights in Athenian democracy

Social Structure: Sparta Spartiates: military professionals who lived mostly in barracks, land owners whose serfs worked their land, could vote Outsiders (“Perioeci”): freemen, included artisans, merchants, craftsmen, could not vote or serve in army Helots: serfs (slaves tied to land) descended from those taken over by Sparta, constantly rebelling, treated like slaves, and required to give 1/2 of their crops to the Spartiates owning the land Women had few rights in Sparta

Military Athens Sparta Most powerful navy in the Mediterranean Strong army Most trained and feared fighters on land

Life Style and Values Athens Sparta Democratic values Participation in government was a civic responsibility Believed themselves to be culturally superior Militaristic values Children taught to get along with nothing (spartan) Citizens not permitted to own gold or silver or luxuries Children taught to respect elderly, women, and warriors

Male Education: Athens 5-14 y.o. (5-18 if wealthy): schools taught reading, writing, mathematics, music, poetry, sports, and gymnastics If he went on to the academy: also learned philosophy, ethics, and rhetoric (persuasive public speaking) Military training camp for two years Metics: expected only to get a basic education, but could go further if so desired

Male Education: Sparta Boys taken from home at 7 y.o. and trained in warfare Only given a cloak- no shoes or other clothes and purposefully not enough food forcing them to steal to learn survival skills 20 y.o: placed into higher ranks of the military 30 y.o: could marry but still lived in barracks with other soldiers Educated in choral dance, reading, and writing, but athletics and military training stressed

Female Education Athens Sparta Received little formal education (except for the aristocrats who may have had private tutors) Generally kept at home Taught spinning, weaving, and other domestic arts Started education at 7 y.o. (same as boys) Taught reading, writing, gymnastics, athletics, and survival skills Allowed to participate in sports

Role of Women: Athens Kept at home, rarely seen in public No participation in sports or politics Wives considered property of their husbands Responsible for all aspects of managing a household-meal planning and preparation, slaves, cleaning, spinning, weaving, etc… Some women held high posts in religious life

Role of Women: Sparta Treated more like equals: goal was to produce women who would have strong healthy babies Having children was considered equal to military service Assigned a husband at 18 Could move around and enjoy a great deal of freedom (if they weren’t slaves) House stuff was left to lower classes and slaves Could own and control their own property Expected to oversee husband’s property and guard it from invaders and revolts while he was away at war.

Food & Shelter Athens Sparta Enjoyed luxuries and foods from all over the Mediterranean (big navy=lots of trade) Wealthy Athenians homes were built around a courtyard, some even had “plumbing” Trained to dislike fancy food and luxuries “Spartan Broth”= pork, blood, salt, and vinegar Men lived most of their lives in military barracks, away from their families

Cultural Achievements Athens Sparta Architecture Drama Literature Philosophy Medicine Science DEMOCRACY Military supremacy Concept of a simple life