Athens and Sparta...in five minutes or less

Summary

Athens and Sparta, two city-states in ancient Greece, were geographically close but culturally distinct. Athens, centrally located and open to the sea, embraced democracy and a trade-based economy, while Sparta, more isolated, favored an oligarchy and relied on agriculture and conquest. Athenian education aimed at producing good citizens, with boys learning reading, writing, and math, and girls focusing on domestic skills. Spartan education was military-focused, with children trained to be warriors. Athenian women had limited rights, while Spartan women enjoyed more freedoms. Slavery was prevalent in both, but Sparta's slaves, known as helots, outnumbered citizens and were sometimes targeted in preemptive wars.

Takeaways

• 🏙️ Athens and Sparta were two city-states in ancient Greece with vastly different cultures and governments.
• 🌏 Geography played a role in their differences; Athens was coastal and open to the outside world, while Sparta was more isolated and suspicious of outsiders.
• 🗳️ Athens was a democracy where all adult male citizens could participate in government, whereas Sparta was an oligarchy led by two kings and a council of elders.
• 💼 The Athenian economy was based on trade, with a developed coinage system and a central marketplace called the Agora.
• 🌾 Sparta's economy was based on agriculture and conquest, relying on slaves to produce goods, and they discouraged trade to prevent new ideas from affecting their government.
• 🎓 Athenian education focused on producing good citizens, with boys learning reading, writing, and math, and girls learning domestic skills.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Spartan education was centered around military training for both boys and girls, with an emphasis on strength and bravery.
• 🚺 Women in Athens had fewer rights than men, could not own property or vote, and had limited influence outside the home.
• 💪 Women in Sparta had more rights compared to women in Athens, could own property, and were expected to be strong and capable.
• 🤝 Slavery was prevalent in both Athens and Sparta, with slaves performing various tasks from household duties to labor-intensive jobs.
• ⚖️ Spartan slaves had some freedoms, such as the ability to marry, sell crops, and potentially buy their freedom.

Q & A

What were the geographical differences between Athens and Sparta?

Athens was located in central Greece, only four miles from the Aegean Sea, which allowed for easy travel and exposure to new ideas. Sparta, on the other hand, was more isolated, situated on a plain between the mountains and the sea, which made them more suspicious of outsiders and their ideas.

How did the government system in Athens differ from that in Sparta?

Athens was a democracy where all men over the age of 18 were considered citizens, and a Council of 500 men over the age of 30 met daily to run the government. Sparta was an oligarchy governed by a council of elders consisting of two kings and 28 men, with members elected by an assembly of noble families.

What was the role of the Assembly in Athenian democracy?

In Athenian democracy, the Assembly was a gathering of at least 6000 citizens who needed to approve proposed laws. If there were not enough citizens present, slaves would be rounded up to participate.

How did the economies of Athens and Sparta differ?

The Athenian economy was based on trade, with Athens developing its own coins and having a large marketplace called the Agora. Sparta's economy relied more on farming and conquering, with slaves producing goods due to Spartan men being warriors.

What was the primary purpose of education in Athens?

In Athens, the primary purpose of education was to produce good citizens. Boys were taught reading, writing, and math, and girls were taught domestic skills by their mothers.

What was the main focus of education in Sparta?

Spartan education focused on training children to be brave soldiers, with all children, regardless of gender, being trained to fight.

How were women's rights different in Athens compared to Sparta?

In Athens, women were not considered citizens and had fewer rights than men, such as not being able to own property, vote, or attend the assembly. In Sparta, women had more rights than in other Greek city-states; they could own and control property and even marry another man if their husband was away at war for too long.

What was the role of slaves in the economies of Athens and Sparta?

In Athens, even the poor owned at least one slave, with slaves running households, tutoring children, and working in farms or factories. In Sparta, slaves outnumbered citizens and were captured in war; they had some freedoms like marrying and selling crops, but Sparta would occasionally declare war on them to control their numbers.

Why did Sparta discourage trade?

Sparta discouraged trade because they feared that new ideas from outside would weaken their government.

What was unique about Sparta's currency?

Sparta used long iron rods as their money, which was chosen because it would be more difficult to steal.

What was the status of babies born in Sparta who did not appear strong?

If a baby in Sparta did not appear strong, they would be left to die on the hillside as part of their belief in only nurturing the strongest members of society.