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Sparta and Athens
Tyranny in the City-States
Main Idea: Tyrants were able to seize power from the nobles
with the support of Greek farmers, merchants, and artisans
 Today, the word tyrant is almost always a negative term, but
not in Ancient Greece. Tyrants were often very popular
because they helped the common people gain rights

Nobles seize power from the kings after the Dark Age.
 Unhappy farmers demand changes in power
– Led to the rise of Tyrants (someone who takes power by
force and rules with total authority)
 600 B.C. = Tyrants come to power
– Gain support from common people and overthrow nobles
– Built marketplaces, temples and walls = keeps them popular


Greeks wanted government where all citizens can
participate (no longer like tyrants ruling, because
some got very greedy)

Some city-states create an
oligarchy
– Government ruled by a
few people
– Sparta had this gov’t

Some city-states create a
democracy
– Government ruled by all
citizens
– Athens had this gov’t
Life in Sparta

Main Idea: The Spartans focused on
military skills to control the people
they conquered
– Daily life in Sparta was dominated
by the military. They valued
discipline, obedience and courage
above all else.

To get more land, Sparta conquered
and enslaved their neighbors
– These captive workers = helots
(kept control of them for nearly 250
years)
– To keep the helots from rebelling,
Spartans created a strict and strong
military of boys and men

All citizens had to serve in the army
– When born, only healthy children
are allowed to live. Healthy
children go home to learn
discipline. Unhealthy children are
left in the wilderness to die

Spartan Boys
Age 7
– Boys leave home to go to military
school (Agoge) at age 7.
– Physical and military training are
stressed. Children are forced to
fight, steal and cheat. If they get
caught, they are beaten. They are
often forced to hunt and fend for
themselves. They are not allowed
to cry or show pain.
Boys entered regular army at age 20, live in barracks
 Returned home at age 30, but stayed in the army until
age 60

Women in Sparta

Spartan girls
– Trained in sports such as
running, wrestling and
javelin throwing. Helps
keep them in shape to be
healthy mothers

Freer then other Greek
women.
– Owned land, ran
businesses. Did not
spend time cooking
and cleaning, that was
the jobs of the slaves.
Helot (state-slaves)
worked the fields.
Spartan Government




Oligarchy – government ruled by a few people
Two branches = council of elders and an assembly
Ephors = enforced the laws and managed tax collection
To maintain control = discouraged foreign visitors & banned citizens from
traveling
Kings (2) and
Ephors (5)
Ephors – elected by the assembly. Had the
power to propose laws and override the kings
Senate
Citizen Assembly
Elected by citizens, voted on laws
All male landowners over age 30
Economy – based on military
- led very simple lives, government forbade luxury goods
- simple life = “Spartan” life
Life in Athens


Main Idea: Unlike Sparta, Athenians were more interested in building a
democracy than building a military force (but did have a good army and an
excellent navy)
Place more value on the mind (arts and education)
Raphael’s School of Athens

Athenian Boys
– Attended school. Taught
reading, writing arithmetic,
sports & music
– Finished school and became a
citizen by age 18
– Formal schooling was mainly
only for the rich
Athens was known as
“The School of Greece”
GIRLS
- Stayed at home = taught household duties by mother
- Were mostly ignored by government
- Women didn't really have any power outside of the home. They
really weren't even allowed to leave the home very often, except to visit
relatives, or attend weddings, funerals or religious ceremonies
Athenian Government
Early Athenian government was
an oligarchy, ruled by the
landowning nobles
 Around 600 B.C., Athenians
rebelled against the nobles

– Farmers demanded an end to
debts & demanded land for the
poor

Turned to a man named Solon
– Popular among both nobles and
common people for his reforms in
Athenian government.

Peisistratus = tyrant
who seized power in 560
B.C., 30 years after
Solon’s reforms
– Divided large estates and
gave them to the landless
farmers
– Loaned money to poor
people and gave them
jobs

Cleisthenes = took over in 508 B.C. & created the first
DEMOCRACY in Athens
– Assembly became center of the government
– Gave assembly/citizens more power
– Created a new council of 500 (chosen at random) to help
the assembly
Athenian Government

Democracy – government
ruled by the citizens
– People could participate in
government
– Emphasized personal
freedom. Could propose
laws and vote, own
property, etc.
voting
All People???