Download The differences and similarities between Athens and Sparta

All Greek city-states shared many important features of life but a few things that made
them more than just Greek but Spartans or Athenians were the differences in the military and
in how they ran their governments. Athens and Sparta had shared the Hellenic Identity not just
with each other but with all the other city-states in Greece, the soldiers were not just soldiers
they were citizens they fought each other in defense of their city-states identity and fought
alongside each other in defense of Greece.
There was great pride in being a Hellenes throughout Greece and the desire to protect
that allowed for a great military force, filled with citizen soldiers. Having the citizens of the land
being in the military meant they would fight harder. It was more than just winning a war/fight it
was about protecting their land, their communities, and their people. Some city-states such as
Athens allowed their soldiers to choose to be a part of the military. Sparta did not give that
choice; all male citizens would start their training at the young age to become part of the
military. The training in Sparta was fierce and brutal and when the young men went off to fight
there was a saying they would hear as they were given their shields “come home with your
shield or on it”. Regardless of choosing to join or being forces to join in the military both
Athens and Sparta fought to protect their identity and won battles in the defense of it. One of
the reason they had such good success was that in the military they allowed everyone to have a
say. If a man who was not a general thought of a strategy he would be able to go to a general
and have his strategy be heard. They were all there for the same reason to protect their land,
communities and their identity.
Governing in these two city-states was handles differently one allowed more power for
the citizens to vote while the other had a few people who voted for the whole city. Athens had
a Demos Kratos government; meaning People Rule (or power) allowed all free male citizens
would vote and be part of the government. It is said that Athens had the first democracy.
Sparta had an Oligarchy government meaning Elites Rulers. Sparta had two kings. One who
would go off to war with the military to ensure a victory and one who would stay in the city to
ensure that nothing got out of hand within the city while there was a war. They had a few very
powerful men who vote, not giving much say to the citizens of their city.
The differences between these city-states were many but their similarities though few
were large. Athens soldiers choose to defend in the military while the Spartan soldiers had that
choice made for them at a young age. They both fought to the death for the land and culture
they loved. Athenian citizens had a larger say in the laws in their city while the Spartan citizens
had to trust the few elite in their city to make the laws for them. Both cities flourished under
their government and on the battle field. Though it seems Athens had a government that was
more successful then Spartan and Spartan had a military that was more successful then Athens.
They all felt great pride in both their Hellenic Identity and their own separate identity they all
had a desire to defend and protect it.