Download Athens v. Sparta

 During the 5th century BCE, Greece was
dominated by two powers: Athens and Sparta
 These city-states were VERY different in
structure and beliefs
 Head of the Delian
 Head of the
League
 Power was based in
command of the sea
(super strong navy)
Peloponnesian League
 Great land power and
controlled many
neighboring territories
whose peoples were
enslaved
 About 150,000 people
 About 115,000 people
(40K citizens, 40K
slaves, 70K aliens,
women, children
 By 432 BCE, Athens is
the most populous citystate
 8,000 citizens (adult
males)
 7,000 women and
children
 100,000 slaves and
semi-freed
 Classified as a “direct
 Classified as an
democracy”
 Claims to be the
birthplace of democracy
oligarchy
 Had elements of:
monarchy (rule by
kings), democracy
(election of
council/senators) and
aristocracy (rule by
upper class)
 Elected officials: 10 generals, magistrates (judges)
 Council of 500: administered the decisions made by
the Assembly
 Assembly: open to all citizens, passed laws and
made policy decisions
 Did women participate in the political life of Athens?
 Two kings: generals in charge of the armies, some religious
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duties
Five overseers: elected annually (every year), ran the dayto-day operations, could veto decisions made by the Council
or Assembly
Council of Elders: 28 men over 60 y.o. and elected for life by
the citizens and the 2 kings, acted as judges and proposed
laws to the Assembly
Assembly: all male citizens 30 or older, voted on proposed
laws by shouting out their votes
Did women participate in the political life of Sparta?
 Freemen: all male citizens, divided into three classes:
 Aristocrats--owned large estates, made up cavalry or was a captain
on a boat
 Small farmers
 Thetes--urban craftsman and boat rowers
 Metics: aliens (not born in Athens, not citizens), couldn’t own
land but could run businesses and industries
(manufacturing)
 Slaves: less harshly treated in Athens than most other
Greek city-states, had no rights and an owner could kill a
slave. Some were given important roles (like policemen)
 Women had no rights in Athenian democracy
 Spartiates: military professionals who lived mostly in
barracks, land owners whose serfs worked their land,
could vote
 Outsiders (“Perioeci”): freemen, included artisans,
merchants, craftsmen, could not vote or serve in army
 Helots: serfs (slaves tied to land) descended from those
taken over by Sparta, constantly rebelling, treated like
slaves, and required to give 1/2 of their crops to the
Spartiates owning the land
 Women had few rights in Sparta
 Most powerful navy in
the Mediterranean
 Strong army
 Most trained and
feared fighters on
land
 Democratic values
 Participation in
 Militaristic values
government was a civic
responsibility
 Believed themselves to
be culturally superior
 Children taught to get
along with nothing
(spartan)
 Citizens not permitted to
own gold or silver or
luxuries
 Children taught to respect
elderly, women, and
warriors
 5-14 y.o. (5-18 if wealthy): schools taught
reading, writing, mathematics, music, poetry,
sports, and gymnastics
 If he went on to the academy: also learned
philosophy, ethics, and rhetoric (persuasive
public speaking)
 Military training camp for two years
 Metics: expected only to get a basic education,
but could go further if so desired
 Boys taken from home at 7 y.o. and trained in
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warfare
Only given a cloak- no shoes or other clothes
and purposefully not enough food forcing
them to steal to learn survival skills
20 y.o: placed into higher ranks of the military
30 y.o: could marry but still lived in barracks
with other soldiers
Educated in choral dance, reading, and
writing, but athletics and military training
stressed
 Received little formal
 Started education at 7
education (except for the
aristocrats who may have
had private tutors)
 Generally kept at home
 Taught spinning, weaving,
and other domestic arts
y.o. (same as boys)
 Taught reading,
writing, gymnastics,
athletics, and survival
skills
 Allowed to participate
in sports
 Kept at home, rarely seen in public
 No participation in sports or politics
 Wives considered property of their husbands
 Responsible for all aspects of managing a
household-meal planning and preparation,
slaves, cleaning, spinning, weaving, etc…
 Some women held high posts in religious life
 Treated more like equals: goal was to produce
women who would have strong healthy babies
 Having children was considered equal to military
service
 Assigned a husband at 18
 Could move around and enjoy a great deal of
freedom (if they weren’t slaves)
 House stuff was left to lower classes and slaves
 Could own and control their own property
 Expected to oversee husband’s property and
guard it from invaders and revolts while he was
away at war.
 Enjoyed luxuries and
foods from all over the
Mediterranean (big
navy=lots of trade)
 Wealthy Athenians
homes were built
around a courtyard,
some even had
“plumbing”
 Trained to dislike
fancy food and
luxuries
 “Spartan Broth”=
pork, blood, salt,
and vinegar
 Men lived most of
their lives in military
barracks, away
from their families
 Art
 Architecture
 Military supremacy
 Drama
 Concept of a simple
 Literature
 Philosophy
 Medicine
 Science
 DEMOCRACY
life