Origins of Athenian and Spartan Government Systems

In ancient Greece Athens and Sparta were known for being the biggest and most successful city states. Both Athens and Sparta were very influential and powerful polis, but they were very different from each other. They were not only different in their way of life, but their biggest difference was how they governed.

The most distinctive feature of Greek political culture lay in the extent of popular participation in political life that occurred within the city-states. This participation was based on the unique ideas of “citizenship,” of free people running the affairs of state, and of equality for all citizens before the law. Political participation in Greek city-states was much wider than in Persia, but it varied considerably between city-states and over time. Early in Greek history, only the wealthy and wellborn had the rights of full citizenship, but middle- and lower-class men gradually obtained these rights in some 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.

Athens and Sparta were two powerful city-states, different from each other where Athenian democracy focused on economic advancement, while Sparta oligarchy focused on military force. Democracy is a system of government where citizens have the right to vote, whereas oligarchy is a system of government where only a group of people is in control and only their opinion or decision that were taken into consideration. Leading to the thesis statement that people are better served by Athenian democracy than the Spartan oligarchy, supported in three evidence points. Firstly, Athenian democracy allowed citizens participation in government that gave them freedom to vote and take part in legislation. Secondly, the Athenian government provided Athenian men better education, by being taught how to read and write to reach their academic advancement. Lastly, the Athenian democracy’s contribution to Athens military advancement that protected its citizens.

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? What rules governed the selection of public office holders?

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

The Spartan government consisted of a small council included the kings and the elders that oversee the Spartan society and cast votes to make important political decisions. The Athenians regarded their government as a democracy as “its administration is in the hands, nit of the few, but of the many,”(D3), a direct contrary to the government structure of Sparta of which the power was in the hands of the few. Furthermore, according to Plutarch in Document 4, Spartan leaders, for instance, Lycurgus, wished to create a society with restricted lives and well regulated institutions where each citizen had a designated purpose; whereas the the power was given to the “masses, the poor and the commons” to preserve democracy. This difference in political structure reflected the value of the two city-states. The Spartan kept their government power concentalized in the hands of a few powerfuls so political decisions could be made more efficiently, which would preserve their focus on building military fondation rather than on the social aspect of their society. On the other hand, the Athenians valued free-speech and exchange of ideas; this form of democracy undoubtedly resulted in their innovations in fields such as philosophy, literature, and art.

oligarchy, and democracy. I will discuss what type of governments each refers to and finally

In the early days of Ancient Athens, the city state was ruled by a group of wealthy aristocrats, but changed in around 460 BCE into a democracy. Before, Athens was ruled by an oligarchy, close to a tyranny. Then one of the rulers, Solon, introduced the Council to Athens. The council is close to today’s Congress. Every man who was

For individuals in Sparta during the classical Greek period, life was simple. Men were meant to be warriors and women were meant to breed warriors (Brand, 2003). The population of Sparta was made up overwhelmingly of slaves, leading to a military political system. According to Brand (2003), most of the political decision making was done by the Gerousia. The Gerousia consisted of 30 wealthy Spartan aristocrats, who had survived war to the age of 60 (no small feat, when the expectancy was 35 and you could be killed for having a deformity as a baby). Two of these positions were reserved for the two kings of Sparta. The Gerousia was typically conservative and

A total of ten tribes were created covering all areas of Athens. Fifty men from each tribe gathered to form the legislative council. This assembly was made up of free Athenian males and they passed all the laws. Prior to 507 BCE, votes were weighted, giving the wealthy more power. After 507 BCE, the concept of “one-man, one-vote” was established. This was the beginning of democracy. (Brand, n.d., p. 19)

To understand how democracy came into power, the instigators who set up and initiated this system of government need to be further analysed. Each of them did key, significant modifications that ultimately attempted to make Athens an equal society amongst its citizens. Firstly, in the 6th century BCE Solon revoked all debts that the people of Athens owed. He allowed the poor to be involved by creating the ‘general assembly’, who now had a choice on deciding who they wanted in power (Pfingsten, n.d.). Debt slavery was also abolished by Solon, who was the first initiator towards a democratic society. Politically, Solon was believed to establish the council of 400, he also created the four class system dividing the population into separate classes

Considered the cradle of Western civilization, Athens is regarded as the birthplace of democracy. The powerful city-state developed and grew along with the neighbouring port of Piraeus which was to become a major sea-going centre in the region. The purpose of this essay is to discuss who ruled ancient Athens. In doing so, the essay will first, define the term ‘rule’. Second, it will examine the different governments who ruled Athens, outlining some of the strategies and challenges faced by the groups who had vested interests in the city-state. Finally, it will point out the rules and structures as of this city whose political legacy proved to be significant and long lasting.

Beginning in Athens circa 800-700 B.C.E, the population expanded at an unusual pace alongside rapidly improving economic conditions. It was this, “early development of a large middle class,” that allowed them to begin exploring the then novel concept of a democratic system (Hunt, 68). As early as the seventh century B.C.E, the Archaic Athenian government had begun to represent a democracy in its fledgling stages as a direct result of the success of the entrepreneurial middle class; with, “all freeborn adult Athenian male citizens,” reserving the right to vote on public matters by means of assembly. One such example of this newfound solidarity occurred around 632 B.C.E, with the common masses’ triumphant rally in opposition to an attempt to install an elite Athenian tyrant. After the likes of the harsh legislator Draco in 621 B.C.E, the reforms of Solon by 594 B.C.E, the tyrant rule of Peisistratus in 546 B.C.E, and alight upon the reforms of Cleisthenes in 508 B.C.E, for it was here that true democracy began to take root and would remain and grow as a result of all that had come and been done before.

Athens and Sparta were great cities in ancient Greece time. Most of today’s countries owns some of their success to the ideals and examples left behind by those great cities. Even though these cities were similar in greatness, they were different in some ways. Athens was opened to other ideals while Sparta was focused on the path of a warrior. But how were their government structured to have such impact on modern society?