Download Friday 10th October 2014 To write a balanced argument. Over time

Friday 10th October 2014
To write a balanced argument.
Over time, archaeologists have found Greek pottery displaying that era’s
daily life. Some have caused much confusion but later have been uncovered
by humans. By art, we have revealed the five major cities; two which the most
well-known. Sparta and Athens were rivals and once had a destructing war as
Athens tried to acquire more land. Both had a completely different way of
life, yet believed in the same Gods. A question that has remained for decades
is: Which was the better city state?
Sparta was protected by the towering mountains; this was a clear defence
which probably drove enemies away; from the very sight of their ‘wall’, other
strong-hearted ones had dared to try and invade had failed. But why?
Spartans would spot the army and be prepared. Archers would drive them
away or slay them as they proceeded. If any escaped this shower of death,
they would be slaughtered by the waiting hoplites. However, Athens had as
good a defence system as Sparta. Their strongly built wall kept hundreds of
archers hidden. Only crafty soldiers could escape death when their army was
spotted; light soldiers could only be the ones able to climb up the wall but
would be instantly killed by the guards at the top. This shows each city had
an elaborate defence system to protect their nation.
One of the key differences by far is the role of women. Spartan women were
expected to be strong and healthy so they would produce robust babies. As
young girls, they would go to school but not an ordinary one. They learned
to wrestle, throw the javelin and discus, have races and much more. The aim
was to teach them self-defence so if the army were away when Sparta was
attacked, then they would be able to protect their city. In contrast, Athenian
women had a rather domestic role; cooking, cleaning and looking after the
children was only a fraction of what they did. They weren’t allowed to speak
out of turn, make any sort of decision. They were only allowed out of the
house on special occasions like weddings or rarely to see other women and
festivals of the Gods. Although they had a very confined life, jewels were
covered from head to toe on women and they had a luxurious life compared
to the neighbouring cities and with far more resources. However, Spartan
women had to do the manly jobs, expected to be carried out when the army
was away. They also had to hunt for food, even if the men were at home.
Another disadvantage was that women only saw their husband a few times a
year, so having a child was more limited than Athenian women. What life
would you choose if you were living in that time?
In recognition to daily life, war was an everyday chore men performed. For
years, Sparta would stay and never give up until they had all fallen. This warlike behaviour would help and defeated many armies. Moreover, in Athens
war was optional unlike Sparta. Men could become Educators and
Philosophers if they wanted. Only Athenian men were allowed to vote
whereas in Sparta, everyone had to obey the Kings, whether you wanted to
or not.
Some may also argue that death is worse than slavery. In Athens, slaves were
whipped till they bled, stabbed and beaten but were still expected to continue
with their chores. They were traded at the market along with all the groceries.
Some of the slaves were young girls that Athenian families did not want and
abandoned in favour of a boy. Thus is killing a weak child is Sparta justified
by abandoning or selling your daughter as a slave in Athens?
In conclusion, a point that may surprise is that, without each other, history
could be entirely different to what we know it as. Many a time, Greece had
been threatened by other countries. Together, they worked to defend their
country, preventing each other’s fall. Although they were utterly different,
their differences came together with each city making up for one another’s
weaknesses. Without their rivals, they may have crumbled with nor remains.
Which city would you choose to live in?
Alisha Year 6