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GREEK CITY-STATES
KEEP IN MIND…
GREECE WAS HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY IS
GEOGRAPHY.

The 3 main influences are:
 The
Land
 Very
 The
rugged mountains
Sea (better transportation, many islands)
 Greeks
 The
didn’t live on land, but around a sea
Climate
 Outdoor
lifestyle
RISE OF THE POLIS
The polis, AKA citystate, was made up
of the city and the
surrounding
countryside.
 Citizens would gather
at the agora
(marketplace) or on a
fortified hilltop to
discuss
city government.

ACROPOLIS:
A fortified hilltop, or the high point of the polis
.
Acropolis
GREEK POLITICAL STRUCTURES
Monarchy- rule by a king
Aristocracy- rule by land-owning
nobility
Oligarchy- rule by a small group of
powerful people
- Usually merchants and artisans
TYRANTS SEIZE POWER

(Has good connotation)
Rulers/common people clash
 Nobles/wealthy citizens win
support of common people
 Seized control and ruled in
interests of ordinary people

ATHENS VS. SPARTA
ATHENS & DEMOCRACY
Idea of representative gov’t
began to take root
 Rule by the people developed in
Athens around
621 B.C.
Legal Code

Draco
DRACO – 621 B.C.
Nobleman
 Developed legal code based on
equality of all Athenians, rich or
poor
 Dealt harshly w/ criminals
(Hammurabi)
 Upheld debt slavery


Draconian Law
SOLON – 594 B.C.
Outlawed debt slavery
 Organized Athenians into 4 social
classes according to wealth.
 Only top 3 could hold office
 All citizens could participate in the
assembly no matter the class.
 Any citizen could bring charges
against wrongdoers

CLEISTHENES -500 B.C.

Broke up power of nobility
 Organized
citizens based on where they live,
not by wealth

Increased power of assembly
(citizens could submit laws for debate)
 Created the Council of 500
(proposed laws and counseled the
assembly- chosen by random).
WHO WERE CONSIDERED
CITIZENS?
Free
adult, male property
owners born in Athens
 Women, slaves, & foreigners
were excluded and had few
rights
ATHENIAN EDUCATION
Boys educated to become good
citizens & defend Athens

Reading,
math, pub. speaking
Girls educated at home to
become good wives & mothers

VALUES OF ATHENS
Athenians were very much interested in art,
literature, science, math, and philosophy.
 Athletics also important -> Olympics
 Prisoners of war were used as slaves.
 Women didn’t go to school. Never taught to
read or write.

ATHENS VS. SPARTA
SPARTAN GOVERNMENT
 Government
branches
had several
Assembly
(all citizens)
Council of Elders (30 older citizens)
Proposed

laws to assembly
5 elected officials
Carried
out laws, controlled education,
prosecuted court cases
Two
Kings
Ruled
over the military forces
SPARTAN CULTURE
Strong military power
 Mostly agricultural

CODE OF LYCURGUS
 Reforms
aimed at Spartan virtues
Equality
 Created
Military Fitness
Austerity
by Lycurgus who starved
himself to death to save food for his
polis
 This shows Spartan values of self
discipline and endurance
725 B.C. –
Spartans
conquered the
Messenians
and took over
their land
MESSENIANS
 Spartans
treated Messenians as
slaves
 Called the Helots – peasants
forced to stay on the land they
worked
 Each year, the Spartans
demanded half of the Helots
yearly crop
HELOTS
By
600 B.C. the Helots
outnumbered the Spartans 8 to
1
Soooo…about 500,000 Helots
and only 25,000 Spartans
Revolted often
Krypteia (secret police)
THE SPARTAN ARMY
 Extremely
strong because
of fear of revolt
 Spartan
citizens devoted
their lives to
serving their
army
SPARTAN POWER
 From
600-371 B.C. the Spartans had
the most powerful army in Greece
 However, they created little art,
literature or architecture
 They valued duty, strength, and
discipline
 Boys trained from age 7
SPARTAN WOMEN

Received some military training
 Could
wrestle and compete in sports
Had much more freedom than other city-states
 Ran the family estate when husbands were at
war.

 Couldn’t
vote but had strong political voice
Come back with
your shield, or on
it.
SPARTA > EVERYTHING