Download An Introduction to Ancient Greece

Nonfiction Research Homework
Directions: Your task tonight is to get to know both the city-states of Athens and Sparta in
preparation for The Great City-State Debate that is coming up! You will soon be assigned
your role. In order to be the most effective debater possible, you need to understand the
strengths and weaknesses of both city-states. Good luck! Please answer the questions in
the box below each portion of the reading. UNDERLINE YOUR EVIDENCE WITH THE
QUESTION NUMBER. 
An Introduction to Ancient Greece
Part 1: The City-State and Sparta
Ancient Greece wasn't one large empire but a collection of
smaller city-states. The term the Greeks used was polis, which
meant (more or less) "city-state." A polis was bigger than a
city but smaller than a state. They were scattered throughout
the Mediterranean area. Some were sea-ports; others were
more inland. Some of the more famous city-states were Athens, Sparta,
Corinth, Delphi, and Thebes.
The people living in these city-states were all Greek, coming from a common
heritage. But the people of each city-state did different things and had
different beliefs.
Sparta, for instance, was a place of great determination. The
Spartans believed in a strong army. All Spartan boys were
trained to be soldiers. When the Persians invaded Greece, the
other city-states looked especially to Sparta and its army to
keep them safe.
The creation of the Spartan military state is credited to
Lycurgus, a legendary man who gave Sparta is laws. He said that land
should be divided equally among all people. He also said that all people
should eat meals together in large halls, so the rich couldn't enjoy food while
the poor starved. Most famous, perhaps, is the Senate, a part of government
that made laws and kept tyrants in check.
1) List the names of the most famous city-states.
2) Sparta was a place of great determination.
What facts from the article support this statement?
3) What were two laws that Lycurgus gave to Sparta?
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Part 2: Athens
Athens, another large city-state, was the birthplace of democracy, or the
idea that each person could have a voice in what laws were passed and who
made up the government. (This, of course, meant each citizen could take
part in government. A citizen was a person who was born in Athens and who
owned land there. This was nowhere near the majority.)
Early in its history, Athens was ruled by tyrants, some of whom worked to
create democracy. The Athenians invented the practice of ostracism to deal
with tyrants. Basically, each person could decide to target one person to be
kicked out of Athens. If enough people named a person, he would be
banished for 10 years. Athens had its own lawgiver (like Lycurgus of
Sparta). His name was Solon, and his laws formed the basis for the
democracy of Athens
Athens was also a place of great culture. Philosophers like Socrates, Plato,
and Aristotle studied and taught in and around Athens. Many of the famous
buildings that are only ruins today were in Athens. An example is the
Parthenon.
Athens was the home of the Greeks' great fleet, which beat back the
invading Persians several times during the Persian Wars. Athens also used
this fleet to create an empire. Other, smaller city-states grew afraid of
Athens' power and sided with Sparta, another large city-state,
in the Peloponnesian War, which ended in the defeat of Athens.
This war left the Greeks so weak from fighting each other that they were
easy targets for a determined conqueror like Alexander the Great, who
conquered Greece on his way to ruling most of the known world. (He
conquered the mighty Persian Empire and won land all the way to India
before his untimely death at age 23.)
1) Who was considered a citizen in Athens?
2) Before democracy, Athens was ruled by tyrants. What was the name of the
process that the city-state used to get rid of these people?
3) Why did many of the city-states eventually side with Sparta in the
Peloponnesian War?
Part 3: Athens and Sparta: Different yet the Same
The two rivals of ancient Greece that made the most noise and
gave us the most traditions were Athens and Sparta. They were
close together on a map, yet far apart in what they valued and
how they lived their lives.
One of the main ways they were similar was in their form of
government. Both Athens and Sparta had an Assembly, whose
members were elected by the people. Sparta was ruled by two
kings, who ruled until they died or were forced out of office. Athens was
ruled by archons, who were elected annually. Thus, because both parts of
Athens' government had leaders who were elected, Athens is said to have
been the birthplace of democracy.
Spartan life was simple. The focus was on obedience and war. Slavery made
this possible by freeing the young men from household and industrial duties
and allowing them to focus on their military duties. Young boys were trained
to be warriors; young girls were trained to be mothers of warriors.
Athenian life was a creative wonderland. As an Athenian, you could get a
good education and could pursue any of several kinds of arts or sciences.
You could serve in the army or navy, but you didn't have to. (This applied
only to boys, however: Girls were restricted to other pursuits, not war or
business or education.)
For many years, Spartan armies provided much of the defense of the Greek
lands. The Spartan heroism at the Battle of Thermopylae, during the Persian
Wars, inspired all of Greece to fight back with all their might against the
invading Persians. Athenian and Spartan fought side by side in the Battle of
Plataea, which ended Persian invasions of Greece.
One way that Athens and Sparta really differed was in their
idea of getting along with the rest of the Greeks. Sparta
seemed content to keep to itself and provide army and
assistance when necessary. Athens, on the other hand, wanted
to control more and more of the land around them. This
eventually led to war between all the Greeks. This was the
Peloponnesian War. After many years of hard fighting, Sparta
won the war. In true Greek spirit, Sparta refused to burn the city of Athens.
Rather, the culture and spirit of Athens was allowed to live on, as long as the
Athenians no longer desired to rule their fellow Greeks. In this way, the
influence of Athens remained and grew stronger. Other city-states had the
same kinds of temples, buildings, and meeting-places, but it was Athens that
became most famous.
1) A major difference between Sparta and Athens was their forms of
government. Who rules in each city-state?
2) Why was slavery important in Sparta?
3) What was the major difference in the way Athens and Sparta treated the
other Greek city-states?