Athens V.Sparta Compare/Contrast Essay

Democracy in Athens can be traced back to 594 B.C.E, when Solon was given the

The government in Sparta followed a very different coarse than that of the Athenians. It was controlled by an oligarchy in which the power was held by a group of five men called ephors. Working below the ephors was the Council of Elders and an Assembly. Male citizens over age sixty could serve on the Council while anyone, male or female, over the age of twenty could be a member of the Assembly. Though the citizens had little say in the decisions made by the government, the system worked effectively. Over the years, the Spartan's brutal reputation in war grew so great that other nations and city-states were too frightened to attack Sparta even though the Spartan army was no larger then eight thousand men. The Spartan Constitution called for all men to begin their military education at the age of seven, where they were trained to be tough and self-sufficient. Every man in the army fought with a great deal of passion for his country. Life in Sparta may have been rough, but the rest of the Greeks envied the Spartans for their simplicity, straight forwardness, and fanatical dedication. The beliefs of Sparta were oriented around the state. The individual lived and died for the state. The combination of this philosophy, the education of Spartan males, and the discipline of their army gave the Spartans the stability needed to survive in Ancient Greece.

Athens and Sparta are the two famous city-states in Ancient Greece. The Athens was more superior then Sparta. The Athenians were stronger because they had a better geography, government, cultural achievements, and I would rather live in the Athens.

While the Spartans were trained to be warriors and only warriors, the citizens of Athens were vastly different.

Athens and Sparta, two rivals of ancient Greece that made the most noise and gave us the most traditions. Though they were close together on a map, they were far apart in what they valued and also how they lived their lives. Spartan and Athenian society were very different in many parts. The differences are what set these two apart, and the things they shared in common are what unified them as Greek city-states. Sparta and Athens shared similarities and differences in their systems of government, military, judgment and views of their women. In addition to this, the social gatherings of Athenians and Spartans that were also similar and different.

Being the birthplace of democracy gives Ancient Greece a very important reputation. One of the most famous civilizations lies between three seas, the Aegean Sea, Sea of Crete, and the Ionian Sea. Such abundance of water makes Ancient Greece good in fishing and trade. Two of the biggest city-states were Athens and Sparta. While Athens was a democracy, Sparta was an oligarchy, which means ruled by few powerful and wealthy people. Ancient Greece is also known for many things like the birthplace of the first Olympics, beautiful architecture, and famous philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. The two biggest city-states have always had issues. Sparta and Athens are very different from the way they are administered as well as their practices. Athenians were the most scholarly types while the Spartans were more of the military type. Due to the fact that Sparta had a very military lifestyle, they were good at raising strong outspoken women in a society where women were kept at home.

Ancient Greece is known for its two rival city-states, Athens and Sparta. It was the strengths of these two societies that brought the ancient world to its heights in art, culture and with the defeat of the Persians, warfare. With Athens and Sparta fighting for power and territory, it brought about the Peloponnesian wars that lasted thirty years, leaving the two city-states in their own shadows. The classical era was helped shaped from the works of Homer, The Illiad and The Odyssey, that in a way, created a set of rules and an ethnic identity for the Greeks. The heroic achievements of Odysseus and the other Achaeans served as role models for the Greeks which told them how to behave and how not to behave in many situations, especially on the battle field and in competition.

During the Archaic Age of Greece, civilization started to spread tremendously which would start the era of Greek City-States. Among the nearly 130 city-states that appeared throughout the era, two would stand out above them all, Athens and Sparta. These city-states were both successful in many ways, but still had their sum disadvantages, and became bitter rivals with each other. Many historians have called these civilizations two of the best of all time and have argued with one another which one was superior. The Greek City-State Athens was much superior to Sparta.

Sparta is the strongest Greek city-state because of their military , society , and education. The spartan produced what is probably the most iconic military in ancient history. The ancient Spartan warriors are known for their bravery , professionalism and skill, a reputation well deserved. The Spartan army was known far and wide for their fierceness , brutality, and efficiency in battle . This was partly due to their militarily-oriented society, but it was also due to a remarkable innovation in land warfare that made the Spartans nearly unstoppable on the ground.

In addition to their high contrasting appearances, both groups had a different view on how society should function. The Athenian’s viewed society as being classified as a class society. A class society is a society in which social mobility is granted. Notably, this means

Solon was tasked with bringing stability to Athens and had complete authority to reform the laws and the state. Although Solon could have used these conditions to seize control as a tyrant, he instead chose to act as a neutral arbitrator and addressed Athens’ problems through a series of reforms. Solon’s reforms were comprehensive and wide-reaching, addressing the city-state’s political, social, and economic issues. Further, these reforms instituted some the first instances of democratic notions in Athens, such as individual rights and distribution of political power.

ancient Greek city-state located in the present-day region of southern Greece called Laconia. The population of Sparta consisted of three main groups the Spartans, who were full citizens, the Helots, or slaves. The Perioeci, who weren't slaves or citizens, got their name from the meaning ”dwellers-around”. They worked as traders and craftsmen. Ancient Sparta is known worldwide for their military and the warriors they created at the young age of seven. Although , the Spartans lost in the Peloponnesian war, ultimately they were the strongest empire.

It’s me again, today I experienced jury-duty and realized how magnificent it is to be a citizen of Athens. The city-state is just so beautiful and possess great government, morals, values, and so much more. I’m so proud to be an Athenians and dedicate time for the government. We have well-rounded, caring people in our city-state unlike Sparta. Athens is superior compared to Sparta, we’re clearly the better city-state. It’s so delightful having equal justice for those who are citizens because of the fantastic government are provided with. We have three branches of government and they all check and balances each other. I believe this is a crucial part of why Athens is a splendid place. Our democratic government features allow

Sparta is going to last longer than the Athens because Sparta has a better army. The reasons I say this is because they were trained young, everyone was able to get into the army, strict laws.

Having the right to participate in the public affairs in Athens and in Sparta was a contrasting landscape; since the culture that shaped the social and economic environment of both countries determined the political right of each individual. Even Athens which is often referred as the birth play of democracy was not a democracy as we know the term today. On the other hand, the Spartan society which has the unrefined pretention to be “equal” was based on exclusion and hierarchy. In short, the Sparta was undoubtedly pervaded by ostracism. In many extents Athens and Sparta were like the day and night.