Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Ancient Greek literature wikipedia , lookup
Liturgy (ancient Greece) wikipedia , lookup
First Persian invasion of Greece wikipedia , lookup
Theban–Spartan War wikipedia , lookup
List of oracular statements from Delphi wikipedia , lookup
Athenian democracy wikipedia , lookup
Athens and Sparta: Conflicting yet Completing Views of Citizenship Jacqueline Firestone His 0009-1 History of World Civilizations to 1750 Dr. Orozco 18 October 2012 Firestone 2 Jacqueline Firestone His 0009-1 History of World Civilizations to 1750 Dr. Orozco 18 October 2012 Athens and Sparta: Conflicting yet Completing Views of Citizenship At the turn of the 9th century BCE the Greek-speaking people of the Aegean Region began emerging from the intellectual and technological “Dark Age” that had plagued the people for the last 300 years. Though different geographical regions isolated these individual people groups the central factor in their growth and transformation remained the same, the creation of a polis. A polis can loosely be defined as a city-state, but for these people it was much more than an “urban center” (Bulliet). One’s polis was rather an extension of their family and therefore involved a great deal of political loyalty, exemplified in the idea of citizenship. Though citizenship was also a transcendent idea, its meaning was not universal (Orozco). In fact, though Athens and Sparta both embraced a strong tie to their polis, their definitions of citizenship were shaped by the individual experiences of their citizens, and in turn lead to differing definitions that were eventually understood as necessary to complement the other. Homer realized the beautiful contrast and complement between Athens and Sparta and exemplified his ideas about their unique ideology in the Iliad through his characters of Achilles and Hector. In the Epic Hector is presented as a mighty warrior. One that creates chaos for his enemies, fights because of his strong tie to his family, and ultimately represents Spartan ideology. On the other hand, Achilles represents a great traveling Athenian warrior, Firestone 3 who seems to be lacking integrity, but is fighting to make his name great. It is not only clear through Homer’s projection of the differing ideologies on both Achilles and Hector that he found these polis’ mindsets intriguing, but also his pull toward the Spartan outlook above the Athenian understanding of citizenship. As the Athenian Polis began to emerge from the “Dark Ages” and command their vast and populous territory and elite aristocracy began to emerge. However, this class deferential and the diversity of the polis were leading the Athenians into a civil war before Solon took control. Solon made several major reforms in Athens starting with the used of the drachma, allowing the growing mercantile class to elevate themselves in the aristocratic system. He also expanded this system to include four distinct class of the aristocracy, and ultimately the idea of citizenship to one of participation. Solon’s reforms were not only for existing Athenian’s. Rather, they extended to other groups such as the Corinthians, who because of their skilled pottery were allowed to participate in the changing Athenian political system, and therefore become citizens. Eventually through Solon and the changes made in the Athenian polis the idea of citizenship was extended to all freeborn males over the age of eighteen (Orozco). These Athenian beliefs about citizenship and one’s polis are evident in Pericles' Funeral Oration From the Peloponnesian War. In Pericles’ speech he praises the greatness of the Athenian State, before he specifically articulates the freedoms that Athenian citizens enjoy. He breaks down the greatness of Athens into several distinct categories focusing on their legal system, military, character, and all other aspects of incomparability, rather than solely on the funeral oration. Pericles also notes that though Athenians have adopted a capitalistic mindset they are able to still maintain a superior intellect and justice system then Firestone 4 their neighboring poleis. Moreover, he speaks of the life style that Athenians’ enjoy, saying that they live, “trusting less in system and policy than to the native spirit of our citizens…we live exactly as we please, and yet are just as ready to encounter every legitimate danger.” In a way Pericles acts to defend the ideology of his polis and poignantly acknowledge the ways Athens more remarkable than their chief rival, Sparta. Pericles not only believed that Athens was magnificent, but also that the Athenian definition of citizenship was superior to the definition of citizenship in any other polis. Though Sparta emerged from the “Dark Ages” around the same time Athens did, their adaptation and interpretation of their polis and citizenship was very different. As the Spartan polis emerged they took over the Messenias and created a slave population out of their captures. Eventually the Messenian people, or the Helot’s as they were referred to as slaves, rebelled. It took 20 years for Sparta to recover from the rebellion, but they were finally able to suppress the uprising through embracing the ideals Lycurgus and the creation of the Agoge. The Agoge was a system of military and moral superiority adopted by all Spartans, in which men and women would be trained form childhood in moral cultural and military skills. The Spartan polis also embraced a strong sense of collectivism, believing that benefits of the polis as a whole was much more important than those of it’s individual citizens (Orozco). Sparta’s unique approach to warfare and citizenship was not only praised by Spartans themselves, but also by a 5th century Athenian named Xenophon. In Xenphon’s Constitution of the Lacedaemonians, one can see that he is particularly impressed with Lycurgus and the Spartan idea he calls their public duty or the “practice of every virtue by Firestone 5 every citizen.” Xenophon notes that this “Lycurgian Mindset” was adapted across genders, form the time of conception on, and included an intense system of training and molding of these young Spartan minds through the guardians called Paidonomos. Xenophon was not only overwhelmed with the collective mindset of the Spartans and how their unity stood in stark contrast to the individuality of Athenian citizenship, but also their lack of concern with money making. Through Solon’s reforms capitalism and the class system had become such a large part of the Athenian ideology, but in Sparta under Lycurgus’ command moneymaking was forbidden. The Spartan idea of being a freeman in turn exclusively encompassed activities “upon which the foundations of civic liberty are based.” Socrates was another Influential Athenian who understood the importance of both the Spartan and Athenian concepts of Citizenship. We can see in Plato’s recollection of The Trial and Death of Socrates that at the end of his life Socrates embodied both of these unique interpretations of citizenship. Socrates understood that he needed to follow a higher moral responsibility, but by following this individual mindset he would suffer the collective consequences put in place to maintain the good of the collective established society. This pull toward the benefit and progress of his individual beliefs embodied the Athenian principals of citizenship. His assumption of the consequences though was much more of a Spartan mindset, and by staying for his execution Socrates was making a statement in Athens about the importance of adopting this Spartan principal into their culture. In fact both the Athenian and Spartan ideologies eventually become so corrupted that the individual Firestone 6 poleis found their demise in the conquest of Philip of Macedonia and eventually Alexander the Great. Though Athens and Sparta both established strong poleis their embodiment of citizenship looked very different. The effects of the Helot Rebellion and the Lycurgian reform lead to a uniformed and collective Spartan mindset that allowed them to in turn gain their strong military powerhouse reputation. Athens on the other hand developed their polis with a much more individualistic mindset through Solon’s monetary and class based reforms. Ultimately, though both unique poleis understood a part of then necessary components of citizenship, only through great thinkers such as Homer and Socrates did society fully understand that these ideologies should not stand in contrast, but rather act as impressive complements, embodying the full definition of citizenship. Firestone 7 Works Cited Bulliet, Richard W. "The Formation of New Cultural Communities : The Rise of the Greeks." The Earth and Its Peoples : A Global History. 5th ed. Vol. 1. Boston, MA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2011. 126-34. Print. Homer. "Book I: The Quarrel and Zeus’s Oath, Book II: The Assembly, Book VI: The Trojan Hero, Book IX: The Embassy To Achilles, and Book XXIV: Achilles and Priam." The Iliad. C. 800 B.C.E. Print. Orozco, Dr. "Professor." His 0009-1 History of World Civilizations to 1750. Westmont College, Santa Barbara, CA. Oct. 2012. Lecture. Plato. The Trial and Death of Socrates. Trans. G. M. A. Grube. Ed. John M. Cooper. 3rd ed. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Pub., 2000. Print. Thucydides. "Book 2." Pericles' Funeral Oration From the Peloponnesian War. 34-36. c.460/455-c.399 BCE.Print. Xenophon. Constitution of the Lacedaemonians. c. 434-355 BCE. Print.