Download Athens and Sparta

Chapter 10
Section 2

What do we already
know about Sparta?


Dominated by the Military
Lycurgus created society
~900 BCE-600 BCE
◦ Military emphasis was to
prevent slave revolts
◦ How do you make a city-state
secure and protect it?
◦ Spartan Answer: Military
Power
◦ Daily life reflected this
emphasis
◦ Discipline, obedience,
Courage


Serve in the army
Newborns: examined for
health
◦ Healthy-future soldier
◦ Unhealthy-abandoned


Age 7: boys taken by the
state for mandatory
training (agoge)
Spartan men would
serve in the military until
age 60



Age 7-21 (like boot camp for 14 years)
Goal: teach stealth, loyalty to Sparta, military
training, hunting, dancing, ability to live with
hardship to future Spartan citizens
Boys: run, jump, swim, throw javelins (create
basic strength and endurance)
◦ Hardships-no shoes or heavy clothes, minimal food
(why?)
◦ Encouraged to steal, but if caught they were
severely punished

Once older: emphasis placed on weapons,
phalanx, boxing, wrestling



~age 21 Spartans became
a part of the Spartan army
“walls of Sparta”
Lived in barracks until
~age 30, even if marriedlittle interaction with
family (why?)
Age 30: became a member
of the assembly and lived
with family

Self-discipline: necessary
for soldiers
◦ Reinforce this-tough
lives, no luxuries
 Comforts make
you weak
 Simple food and
furniture (bare
necessities)
 Admired by their
enemies for discipline

More rights and authority than
other Greek women
◦ Spartan men-away at war
 Women stepped up to rule and
manage Sparta


Some women owned land
Physical training:
◦ run, jump, wrestle, gymnastics
◦ Create healthy offspring
◦ Different clothing expectations

Most Greek women were
expected to make cloth
◦ Spartan women did not-job of
slaves: beneath wives and mothers
of soldiers





Government:
Two kings-led army
Elected officials (assembly)
◦ Ran day to day stuff,
diplomacy
Who does everything else?
Helots-slaves
◦ Grew food and performed all
tasks that were “beneath”
Spartan citizens
◦ Conquered peoples
◦ Outnumbered Spartans 20:1
◦ Feared the army
◦ Made the Spartan society
possible
“Reading and writing they gave them,
just enough to serve their turn; their
chief care was to make them good
subjects, and to teach them to endure
pain and conquer in battle.”
-Plutarch

What do we already
know about Athens?





Birth of democracy
Sparta’s rival
Leader vs Persians
Powerful Army
Valued: physical
training, education,
clear thinking, the arts

Boys-physical (run, jump, fight)
and academic education
◦ Not as harsh as Spartans

All Athenian men served in armyage 18-20 (defend city)
◦ After age 20-only in times of war
◦ Age 60-exempt

Eligible for more formal education
◦ Dependent on what?
Wealthy
 Read, write, count,
sing, play music
 Greek history,
legends: Illiad and
Poor
 Read, write, count
(maybe)
 Farmers
◦ Grow food for the
rich
Odyssey

Private tutors
◦
◦
◦
◦
Philosophy
Geometry
Astronomy
Public speaking
(Why?)

Tradesmen and
craftspeople

Education: minimal
(possibly private tutors)
◦ Weaving & sewing

Lack of rights
◦ No part in government
 (assembly or jury)
◦ Confined to home
 Except special occasions
◦ Could not own property
◦ Strict obedience
 To husband and father

Greco-Persian wars: Allies (common enemy)
◦ After- became rivals (expansion of Athenian power)

After Persian Wars: Athens
continued protection from
Persian Navy
◦ Expanded influence

Many city-states formed alliance
◦ Delian League
◦ Punish Persians, defense, protect
trade


Taxed-to pay for goals of
Alliance (stored on Delos)
Athens (strongest)
◦ Turned alliance into an Athenian
empire
◦ Expanded, misused taxes

Alliance of city-states on
the Peloponnesus
◦ Led by Sparta


Concerned by Athens’
power
431 BCE-Sparta declared
war on Athens to stop
Athenian expansion

Phase 1
◦ Spartans besieged Athens & burned
crops surrounding the city (why?)
◦ Athenian navy
 Brought food and supplies into Athens
 Attacked Sparta’s allies throughout
Greece
◦ Sparta divided army to protect allies
◦ Disease spread through Athens
◦ 10 years later-Truce
 Athens kept empire
 Spartans returned home

Phase 2
◦ 415 BCE-Athens attempted
to conquer Sicily
 Sicilian forces destroyed
Athenian army and most of
the navy
◦ Sparta saw opportunity
 Attacked Athens
 Cut off supplies to Athens
(why successful this time?)
◦ Athens surrendered 404 BCE
 Sparta wins Peloponnesian
War

Sparta-most powerful city-state in Greece
◦ Rule Greece for 30 years



Other city-states resent Spartan rule
Period of war amongst city-states
Greece became vulnerable to outside threats