Download D. Social structures of the city states

The politics of the city-states of Athens and Sparta
A. Background to the emergence of the politics of a city state
Let us now turn our attention to Europe to look at the historical
developments in this region.
http://www.5min.com/Video/Learn-about-The-History-of-Ancient-Greece-1500-BC-1175
06710
Greece is the cradle of European civilisation; its early periods are
influenced by the ancient Egyptians and the Sumerians. In 800
BC, approximately 150 city states appeared in Greece.
Why has the political structure of independent city states been
established in the Greek peninsula, and an empire with
centralised power never evolved?
Activity 1
Try to find the reasons for the appearance of city state
politics from the geographical environment of Greece.
Map of ancient Greece
希臘地勢圖
山脈
巴爾幹半島
希臘
邁錫尼
奧林匹克
雅典
斯巴達
馬拉松
地中海
愛琴海
特洛伊
小亞細亞
A map of areas around Greece
Mountain range
The Balkan Peninsula
Greece
Mycenae
Olympiad
Athens
Sparta
Marathon
Mediterranean
Aegean Sea
Troy
Asia Minor
Map of ancient Greece
The reasons for ancient Greece developing into
independent city states are: The Greek peninsula is
mountainous and there is a scarcity of flat plains,
transport and communication are both difficult, it is not
easy for the different cities to interact with each other,
hence it promoted the development of the different
independent city states.
B. Military: The navy and the army
Activity 2
Judging from the geographical environments, is the navy or
the army stronger for Athens and Sparta? Why?
Athens
The Athenian navy is stronger because she is
located in a coastal region.
Sparta
The Spartan army is stronger because she is
located in an inland mountainous region.
C. Education
Activity 3
Watch the movie “300” and carefully read through the
two sets of information below, analyse the
differences between the education systems of
Athens and Sparta.
Segment 1
Disc 1 [01:05] after this baby boy is born… [03:50] or else he can never
return
1. What is the result of the examination for Spartan babies when they are born?
Recommended answer:
If they are too thin, too weak, and sick or crippled they would be abandoned.
2. When they are old enough to stand up, what training would they receive?
Recommended answer:
They would experience the training for combat.
To be taught never to cower, and never surrender.
To die in battle, protecting Sparta.
3. At what age would the child be taken away from his mother to enter the
violent world of jungle justice, using their brain and will powers to face
different dangers?
Recommended answer: At the age of 7.
Segment 2
Disc 1 [22:40] All men are here? …… [24:40] to Thermopylae, march!
4. How many Spartans followed King Leonidas to fight the Persians in the
Battle of Thermopylae?
Recommended answer: 300.
5. Who in the government would not authorise King Leonidas to fight the
battle?
Recommended answer: Ephors, the priest, and the overseers said that Sparta
must not go to war during their religious festival.
Segment 3
Disc 1 [44:30] Earthquake. No, it’s the enemy coming... [49:00]
6. What advantages do they have in the battle field?
Recommended answer:
They have courage, stratagems, and unity.
Segment 4
Disc 2 [53:30] “Remembering us” is their wishes… [56:00]
7. How many Greeks fought in the Greco-Persian Wars a year later?
Recommended answer:
10,000 Spartan fighters and 30,000 freeborn Greeks.
I am a Spartan soldier. I started to
receive strict military training from 7
years old. At 20 years old, I formally
enlisted into the army to become a
soldier. I perform the duty of protecting
the city state until the age of 60, before
I can be discharged from service. I take
pride in dying in battle. I think a city
protected by a wall of men instead of by
a wall of bricks is the best defended
city.
Artist’s impression of Athenian education.
Artist’s impression of Spartan education.
Schooling age: 7 years old
Schooling age: 7 years old
Class location:
Class location: barracks / outdoor
Indoor
Education focus:
Directing
much attention into
cultural education,
developing
multifaceted talents.
Curriculum
contents: Including
reciting texts, writing,
poetry recital, public
speech,
performing
musical instruments
and singing.
Education focus:
Directing
attention only into
military education,
solely developing
ability in a single
aspect.
Curriculum contents: Emphasising
on training in physical
endurance, living a
harsh life in the field.
D. Social structures of the
city states
Amongst the hundred or so city states in Greece at that time, the
most famous was Athens and Sparta. Although they had not formed
a kingdom under united rule, they still shared the same language
and religious beliefs. Each of the city states had total autonomy,
they created their own ruling hierarchy and social structures, some
of these city states were ruled by a king, some were ruled by a
group of social superior figures, yet others were democracies. In
addition, different people of different social status are given
different rights and obligations in these societies.
Activity 4
2. Try to guess the social status of the following individuals
living in the city states according to their self introduction and
the hints, and write the correct letter code on the blank square.
a. Citizen
b. Woman
c. Slave
I am property of my master, I
have to obey his orders, and I
have no personal freedom.
c
In a male dominated
society, I don’t have any
citizen’s right. I was
married into another
family by 12 years old; I
belong to a dominated
social group.
a
I have property
rights,
voting
rights,
law-making
rights, and the
right to hold
public office.
b
E.Comparison of political structures and military might of Athens
and Sparta
(1).Political structure: Democracy and oligarchy
Activity 5
3. Carefully read the information about government
organisations in the two city sates of Athens and Sparta
below, and then make a comparison of the distinct
characteristics of their political structures.
Source A:
The Government in Athens
The political
structure
of
democracy
after
Cleisthenes’
reforms in 500
BC.
The freeborn citizens of Athens
Voting
Council of 500
Chosen at random from amongst the
freeborn citizens in the Assembly,
the council of 500 is divided into ten
committees, with each overseeing
one tenth of the affairs of the state,
even the chairman is chosen by a
ballot for a term of one year.
Political participation
Assembly/ Ekklesia
All citizens over the age of twenty may
attend the Assembly to discuss and vote
on matters relating to the relevant laws,
wars, and so on, it is the highest organ
of authority.
Historical fact file: the Athenian democracy developed the procedure of voting to expel
unwelcomed political figures, i.e., the names are scratched on ostraka, or clay pottery
fragments, and these are used as voting tokens, if more than six thousand votes in total are
cast in the Agora, an open "place of assembly", then the ostracism takes place, which
means the person receiving the highest number of votes would be exiled from the city
state of Athens for ten years.
Source B:
The Government in Sparta
Two
kings
Sparta has two kings,
who are responsible for
leading the army and
acting as high priest,
they
have little real
power.
Senators
Overseers
The Gerousia (senate)
consists of 28 members
elected for life by the
freeborn citizens plus the
two kings; this is the
highest judicial organ in
Sparta.
Election
In subsequent periods, the 5
Ephors (overseers) became
ultimate rulers of Sparta. They
are elected annually by the
freeborn citizens to preside
over the Gerousia (senate) and
the
Apella
(assembly),
overseeing the life of the
people in the state, they can
even dethrone the kings.
Apella formed by freeborn Spartans
City state
Source A: Athens
Source B: Sparta
Administrative Administered by the council of 500, Administered by the 5 Ephors
organs
public affairs are controlled by the (overseers),
public
affairs
are
majority of people.
controlled by a minority of the people.
Method and
formation of
the
administrative
authority
The extent of
the freeborn
citizens’
political
participation
Both are formed through election by freeborn citizens in the assemblies.
Distinctive
features
Democracy/Oligarchy
Both have voting rights.
Freeborn citizens have the right to Freeborn citizens have no right to
take part in discussions and casting discuss or cast vote on the affairs of
vote on the affairs of the city state, and the city state, they may only indirectly
they may directly participate in take part in political life through
political life.
electing their leaders.
Democracy/Oligarchy
Compared to Source A and Source B, which of the city states
do you think Hong Kong’s political structure is more similar
to? Why? Try to show one example. (2 points)
I think Hong Kong is more similar to Athens, because Hong Kong
residents also have the rights to political participation and
discuss the affairs of Hong Kong through elections.
2 points
Activity 6
Suppose you are someone living in the time of ancient
Greece, would you choose to live in Athens or Sparta? Why?
(3 points)
(Students may freely express themselves)
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
3 points
 Explanatory notes on the history vocabulary
1. Democratic Political Institution: Public affairs are controlled by
the majority of people.
2. Oligarchy: Public affairs are controlled by a minority of the
people.
Satisfactory performance
Improvements needed
□ Able to master the study
contents
□ Numerous errors in
historical events and
concepts.
□ Demonstrated analytical
ability
□ Care needed in
□ Insufficient details
interpreting questions.
in arguments.
□ Citation of historical
events, persuasive
arguments
□ Deficiencies in
□ Need to avoid
citation of historical
writing mistakes.
events, and supporting
evidence for
arguments.
□ Independent thinking
ability, forming
individual judgement.
□ Lack of a sound
personal view.
□ Provide detailed answers,
with commendable
diligence.
□ Inability to answer
with sensible sentence
and text.
□ Neat and tidy
workmanship.
□ Care needed in
neatness and tidiness.
□ Attention to format,
diligent in corrections.
□ Care needed to
improve character
legibility.
□ Failure to produce
indices.
□ Missing dates.
□ Missing parts of
answer.
□ Need to correct all
previous errors.
F. Economic Life in the City State of Greece
Activity 7
Economic Life in the City State of Greece
You are a high school student. By chance, you are given the opportunity to participate
in a real-life experience by taking a ride on a time machine travelling back in time to
the era of ancient Greece. This experience will last for two months; you will be living
and working in one of the city states. The following are some of the people you will
befriend with in the time of ancient Greece while you are living in different cities. How
would you make your choice?
Spartan
Name: Tatar
Sex: Male
Age: 22
Schooling: Only simple writing.
Occupation: City state soldier
Income: Main income from agriculture
and livestock farming, slaves are doing
the farm work. No commerce activities.
Personality: Very brave and heroic in
battles; likes to live a natural and simple
life.
(i)
Athenian
Name: Aran
Sex: Male
Age: 27
Schooling: Capable of different skills
and knowledge.
Occupation: At first working as a
craftsman, later on, started selling
goods he produced to other countries in
large quantities; he has now become a
merchant.
Income: Due to his ability in choosing
the right occupation, his income is
higher than most other people.
Personality: Likes the arts, enjoys
exchange of ideas, and debate.
Living environment: Living in the
biggest city in Greece, his home is
located near a most well-developed
maritime trading port.
Will you choose to live in Sparta or Athens? And why?
Students may write their own answers.
(ii)
Can you describe the main economic activities of the Spartans based on the
above information?
The main activity of the Spartans is agriculture, and they do not conduct
commerce activities. They live a very simple life
(iii) Can you describe the main economic activities of the Athenians based on the
above information?
The Athenians are mostly craftsmen and merchants. Because Athens
has a good natural harbour, hence it has a well-developed maritime
trade.
G. Religious belief in the City-state of Greece
Activity
Polytheism is the religion of the ancient Greece. The ancient Greeks
created many mythologies to explain the birth of the cosmos and the
origins of the Gods.
Source A:
As the ancient Greeks believed in many Gods, they considered
all things contain spirits, and the principal Gods reside in Mt.
Olympus in the north. They all have a human-like appearance and
each have their own personality, they would argue, envy, anger,
love, hate, or even go to war, each of them would be engaging in
different affairs. Moreover, each city state has its own temple of
worship.
The ancient Greeks would have many different ways to appease the
Gods, such as religious festivities, making offerings to the Gods,
staging sporting games (e.g., the Olympics Games), or presenting
theatrical performance to eulogise the Gods and holding other
ceremonial rituals.
1. Describe the characteristics of the Gods of ancient Greece according to
Information a, giving examples to support your answer.
As the ancient Greeks believed in many Gods, they considered all things contain
spirits, the Gods have human-like appearance and each have their own
personality, they would argue, envy, anger, love, hate, or even go to war, each of
them are engaging in different affairs.
2. Describe the relationship between religious belief and the Olympic Games
according to Information a.
The ancient Greeks would have many different ways to appease the Gods,
and the purpose of the Olympic Games is to eulogise the god Zeus.
Status: The principal God
Power: He is the god of the sky,
rain, and clouds.
Weakness: Un-devoting, loving
many women.
Zeus
Athena
Status: Daughter of Zeus
Power: Wisdom, goddess of war.
Personality: Intelligent, beautiful, revere
martial arts.
Apollo
Status: Son of Zeus
Power: God of the Sun
Personality: Kind-heartedness
Hera
Status: Wife of Zeus
Personality: Jealousy
(4).Conclusion:
16
Geography
Political system
Military
Education
Athens
Located in coastal region on
the Greek peninsula
Democratic institutions
Mainly relying on the navy
Valuing knowledge, direct
much attention into cultural
education.
17
Sparta
Located in inland
mountainous region on the
Greek peninsula
Oligarchy
Mainly relying on the army
Valuing military power,
direct much attention into
military education.