Example Of A Tyrant Essay

The Roles and Responsibilities of groups in an Athenian Ancient Society. What were the objectives of education in Ancient Athens, and what were the roles and responsibilities for young boys throughout their education? What were women’s roles and responsibilities in the city-state of Ancient Athens? In the Attica area of Ancient Greece around 500bce-200bce was a powerful democratic city-state called Athens. In ancient Athens, young women and girls learnt household tasks like weaving and sewing. On the other hand, Athenian boys learnt how to have a healthy body and healthy mind.

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.

Sparta was governed as an Oligarchy where a few male citizens were elected to govern the city state in an annual

Doc E states, “Two kings who were generals in command of the armies and with some religious duties.” In Sparta you might like this government because if there were two kings they could make two decisions and then meet in the middle if you like one and not the other. Doc E also states, “The Assembly of all Spartan males aged 30 or over could support or veto the council's recommendations by shouting out their votes.” Since the Spartan assembly was 30 and older they could make wiser decisions and not have some 20 year old come and make terrible decisions. Finally, the Government Document Set states, “Usually classified as an "oligarchy" (rule by a few), but it had elements of monarchy (rule by kings), democracy (through the election of council/senators), and aristocracy (rule by the upper class or land owning class),”(Doc E).

The King began to gain power then eventually he had ultimate power. People began calling Kings, Gods so they became the highest people known to mankind. “Kings are justly called Gods” (Source 4, James I. King of England). Gods were the highest people in the world but eventually Kings started to get the name of a God. Kings started doing whatever they wanted and making new pointless rules because of their new title. Which made the people upset because they were more restricted with more rules. As a result, the Kings were called Gods as an effect of absolutism which gave them more power and made the people

Unlike the Spartans simple lifestyle, Athens was a modern and open society. Athenian society was divided in three classes: citizens who could participate in politics, the aliens who could participate in the army and the slaves who had no political rights. Children stayed at home until they turned 7 after which time, they attended school to learn how to read and

The Spartans were a military force to be rekon with, in part their entire lives were focused upon developing and training their people into excellent soldiers. In order to have a society that had such a presence, their way of life was drastically different from any other city- state of this time. Politically, there was no hierarchy within Sparta, all men were seen as legally equal. The government leaders were made up of two hereditary kings, who would often be prominent leaders within their military. There was a council that was referred as, the “Gerousia”. The council was only made up of men who had reached a certain age, around sixty years. This was to ensure that only men with experience and knowledge would be able to deliberate the important issues that were being discussed. These men also were retired from the Spartan military, thus having knowledge in military strategy. This group mainly reviews foreign and domestic issues, which ultimately is preparation for the council made up of Spartan citizens(73-74).

On the topic of governmental standpoints Sparta was an oligarchy whereas Athens was a democracy. An oligarchy is a form of government in which all power is vested in a few persons or in a dominant class or clique (Dictionary.com). Sparta’s government was set up into four branches: two co-kings, Gerontes or Gerousia, Ephors, and Appella or Demos. The co-kings were of two different family lines of limited hereditary monarchs who were kept in check by the other parts of government as well as by each other. One of the two kings was the commander in chief of the army. Gerontes were a council of 30 consisting of the 2 co-kings plus 28 others each were rich elders of noble birth. They would hold office for the rest of their life after being elected by the people. Gerontes acted as advising body and court of criminal justice in which

Athens government was a democracy which meant it was a state ruled by many. In this type of government they believed that the power was in the hands of the people and not just a select few that had absolute power as in Sparta. Although only about 10% of the Athenian population had political rights and this 10% were all male over the age of 18 with both parents being Athenian, it was more representative of what the people wanted then in Sparta where the decisions were not made based on what the people thought. In Athens citizenship was granted to people of all different social classes so whether you were rich or poor you had a say and a voice in the Athenian political life. In Athens you were expected to participate in government so

Sparta was a warrior society centered on the loyalty of the state and military service, at Sparta the children used to begin their training to become a warrior at the age of 7, leaving their houses to join the barracks, where they also learned to write and read. The Spartan army was considered the best in the world, due to their commitment to the training and their battle strategy, they could overcome any opponent, to increase their power in the battlefield, the warriors were taught to fight until the death, because giving up was a dishonorable act towards Sparta (“300”, 02/27). The society was divided into 3 different groups; Equals, Half-citizen who were considered full citizens, and the Helots who were slaves. The Spartan government, different from the Persian Empire, had a decentralized government, splitting the power between the council, which consisted in 2 kings and 28 nobles (man over the age of 60).(Dr. Kaz, lecture, 02/24) Sparta had an strong and stable government, being considered the best in Greece. The woman in Sparta had much more freedom than in other place at that time, as the men were always training for the army, the woman had an important role in organizing and controlling the city, they were also treated very well, because they regarded them as the producer of the Spartan soldier. (Dr. Kaz, lecture,

Unlike Sparta which was a government only run by few. This led to a lot of corruption causing a not as stable and tranquil society . People would most likely live in an area where their choices mattered than an area where they had no choice and the government took advantage of them. Moreover, people of Athens had more freedom of choice. All Spartan males were constrained to serving in the military, while the women stayed home and did nothing worth mentioning .

After Alexander’s death, there was a political vacuum, this vacuum was temporarily filled due to the initial settlement in Babylon where they decided that the most important of the Friends and of the Bodyguard should take over the satrapies…” ( Diodorus 18.2.4) , but having so many strong willed and ambitious men at that close a chance at power meant that this was not to last. The main issue with this was the difference in ideals between those who power would be granted to, as there were those wanting to keep the empire as Alexander had left it and those who wanted to carve it up into their own kingdoms. On one side you have Perdiccas, who very quickly gained control of the Royal armies and as well as this, the empire due to his position as chiliarch. On the other we have the likes of Ptolemy, who saw this as his chance to rule Egypt. There was also a third group who did not quite want ‘ultimate power’ themselves, but still had their ideas and ambitions for the empire of their late king. The most memorable of this group is Eumenes of Cardia.

politically segregated. In Athens women were married by the age of twelve they cooked and

Supposedly formed by Lycurgus, the government in Sparta is very unique in that it is an Oligarchy; combining monarchy, aristocracy and democracy.

In Athens, the woman’s education was mainly focused around the arts. Girls were sometimes taught how to play instruments, gymnastics, and dancing. Girls in ancient Greece were educated at home. Their mothers taught them how to cook, sew, and do household chores. Their fathers, brothers, or husbands sometimes taught them how to read and write. In Sparta, their education was different. Spartan girls would go to military school and learn not just how to read and write, but also physical activities.