Athens Vs Sparta Research Paper

The city-states Athens and Sparta were rivals in ancient Greece. Geographically the two were very close to each other, but they had a very different economy, cultural values, and way of governing. Both city-states had two very different ways of doing things. I will be highlighting the major differences.

Classical Sparta Page 1 Samantha Elliott Ancient Sparta was an interesting time, one that’s like no other. There were many key components of Sparta and the Spartans that stood out to make it unique. The first unique trait of Sparta was; “Sparta was one of the most efficient and strongest of the Leading Greek city states in its time”(“Spartan Warriors.” Ancient Warriors.) regarding its military.

In Athen, “Schools taught reading, writing, and mathematics, music, poetry, sport, and gymnastics”. In Sparta, “Boys were taken from parents at age seven and trained in the art of warfare. They were only given a cloak - no shoes or other clothes, and not enough food so they had to steal (to learn survival skills)”. Overall, I think Athens is better and safer to live in then Sparta.

In historic times, there existed a divergent people, the Greek way of life was one of the classical civilizations which is considered the melting pot of politics, poetry, art and military of ancient times. Ancient Greece was constructed of a variety of villages that were known as city-states; the aforementioned city-states existed within the known territories, however each of these city-states had their own culture, values and customs. Various city-states cooperated with one another, however they also had a history of fighting with one another, but the most powerful city-states were considered: Sparta and Athens. The Athenians were known for political practices and culture, whereas Sparta was famously known for its disciplined military and vast weaponry. The predominant goal for the Spartan Empire was to establish an elite state of hoplites (infantrymen), while the supreme ambition for the Athenians was to construct a society of well-balanced attributes. Although Sparta and Athens both operated their societies in a different manner, there were few similarities that could be seen in certain aspects of their city-states.

During the times of Ancient Greece, two major forms of government existed, democracy and oligarchy. The city-states of Athens and Sparta are the best representatives of democracy and oligarchy, respectively. The focus of the times was directed towards military capabilities, while the Athenians were more interested in comfort and culture. It was the oligarchy in Sparta that put a war-like attitude as its first priority and best met the needs of Ancient Greece. These factors empowered Sparta and led to the development of an authoritative and potent state. Other contrasting issues included women’s rights, social classes, and value of human life.

Spartan women were more likely to be seen out in public as much as men. They were allowed to play sports as they believed women who did could be a better mother figure because it helped them remain healthy. Women from Sparta were as well allowed to socialize with other men although it wasn’t highly encouraged it wasn’t frowned upon either. They were treated as equally as men since birth which is why they had more of a public life than the women from Athens.

Based on Robert W. Strayer’s Ways of The World, Sparta offered women the best life. Whether about her personal finances, physical fitness, or domestic role, Spartan women enjoyed more liberty than their contemporaries did in China, India, Athens, and Rome. Whereas domestic Chinese women served as the kinder, gentler Yang to the husband’s strong, rigid Yin, Spartan women exercised “more authority in the household and because Chinese women were expected to behave “womanly" and with “implicit obedience,” China is precluded from being the best civilization for a woman to live in (pp. 234, 236, 245-6, 239). Another contrast to Sparta is India, where bikkhunis wrote stories of escape and freedom from patriarchy (pp. 247-8, 218). Although Indian women were “at the core of social life,” Spartan women did not have public roles (pp. 217, 240).

If you built a time machine and I had to choose between being sent to Sparta and the Salian Franks, it would be a tough call, but in the end I would have to choose to live in Sparta. There are many reasons behind that choice, but most of them tie back to me being a female and how each society treated their women, both Spartan and Salian cultures treated women better then Roman society that being said Spartan culture, according to Xenophon women were treated very similarly to the men in many ways.

Abstract In this paper, we are going to discuss the Greece Polis, talking about democracy and Dictatorship, we will compare Sparta and Athens comparing and answer the following questions: How did people in Athens and Sparta obtain the right to participate in public life and make decisions affecting the community? Who held public office?

Sparta and Athens were two significant Greek poli, whom each had a unique form of government and lifestyles of their respective citizens and residents. Sparta was a warrior based society, with a strong militia and unique military formation which won them many battles. Athens, on the other hand, was an education based society, who’s citizens could often be found debating politics or sharing ideas about philosophy in the market place. These two societies, despite both being distinctly Greek, could be considered polar opposites because of their governments, the rights, responsibilities, and freedoms of each societies men and women. Government in Athens and Sparta is one often overlooked aspect of these civilizations, but it is equally important

Ancient Greece was comprised of small city-states, of which Sparta and Athens were two. Athens was renowned as a center of wisdom and learning. The people of Athens were interested in arts, music, and intellectual pursuits. Sparta, on the other hand, was recognized for its military strength. A Spartan's life was centered on the state, because he lived and died to serve the state. Although the competing city-states of Sparta and Athens were individually different as well as governmentally diverse, they both managed to become dominating powers in Ancient Greece.

The Agoge was a harsh, tough education program which all men of Sparta were required to participate in. The agoge would begin when a Spartan boy was at the age of seven. All boys would receive the same education which was harsh, brutal, and torturing. It was designed to condition the boys to become ready to fight rather than learning about traditional subjects. In the end, some Spartan boys turned into strong hoplite soldiers while unsuccessful boys were outcast from society. Despite the hardships many Spartan boys had to endure, the agoge would prove very useful for Sparta. Out of all the Greek poleis, Sparta was the one known for having the strongest army.

The ancient Spartans lived in the city-state. Its surrounding territory was located on the Peloponnese, a peninsula southwest of Athens. Names and ancient countries. Some of the bodies of water around Sparta are the Aegean Sea to the northeast and the Mediterranean Sea to the southwest. Names of important cities in Sparta. The landforms. These are the geographical location and landforms found in Sparta.

In no other city-state did women enjoy the same freedom and status as Spartan women. As a military-driven society, the Spartans realized that “regardless of gender all Spartiates had an obligation to serve the militaristic end of Sparta.” With this focus in mind, women were allowed more freedom, rights, and independence. Spartan women were

A woman’s place was supposed to be at home, in both Sparta and Athens, but the capacity in which they were supposed to be at home differed substantially. In Athens, it was compulsory for women to be acquiescent and compliant. They were supposed to stay home most of the time, bearing, nourishing and taking care of the children, spinning and weaving clothes, keeping the home clean and tidy, preparing food or overseeing the preparation of food by the servants; women from Sparta were the complete opposite of the women in Athens, they were allowed to keep property with the over seeing of the male counterpart, which according to Aristotle, said that in 4th BCE, 405 Sparta was owned by women, and may have contributed to