Theban General Epaminodas Analysis

“The City of Sparta lies in the valley of the River Eurotas. Along with having a river close by; the Spartans were also enclosed by the mountains of Taygetos to the West and Parnon to the East.” Their society was a slave based culture, which allowed the Spartans to become the only full time fighting force in Ancient Greece. Their society was manned by two kings; one of which took the reins of the army in times of conflict or war, while the other king remained in Sparta and maintained society. However, the kings did not have complete power in ancient Sparta. They took two of the 30 seats of the gerousia, or the council of elders; this council of elders prepared possible legislation such as declaring war for a citizen assembly to reject or accept.

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.

The two dominating Greek city states, Sparta and Athens, have there own strengths that make them the strongest throughout Greece. Sparta is "located in the southeastern Peloponnesus, in an area known as Laconia" (Spielvogel 53). Athens is on the peninsula of Attica (Geography). Sparta is know for their immense military might (Spartan Military). Athens is known better for their "leading naval force in Greece" (Women of the Ancient World). Their government systems were very different but very effective. Each Greek state was able to conquer a lot of land using different tactics. This brings up the thought that every country or state could be effective if all the people supported the cause. Political correctness however tends to breed idiots. With this being said, unenforced laws leads people to start thinking that they can get away with whatever they want or better yet, defy the lawful order of an officer. This can than become deadly and spread, until it cripples the system and a new one takes over. What does this new system believe in? Are they idea 's that are realistic? Or are they the idea 's of tree-hugging hippies who thinks everyone is going to "play ball." Well little does the tree-hugging hippie know, is that "The Man" who was "keeping him down" actually did know what he was talking about. Maybe the thirty plus years of military experience wasn 't complete garbage. Maybe it was keeping him and his family safe from the psychopaths and terrorists that

The way the athenian government gave power was very effective and fair. “Power is the hands not of a minority but of the whole people” (From Alternative Two, from Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War) In the Athenian democracy decisions are made by a vote of the majority and then a decision is made by the outcome of the vote. Since “all citizens could hold government positions” (From powerpoint used in class, Athens and Sparta) The majority was making decisions based on what the people wanted modified or advanced, not a unwanted aristocratic tyrant like in the Spartan oligarchy. The citizens of sparta did not have this luxury. “We give obedience to those whom we put in positions of authority” (From Alternative Two, from Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War) This quote implies that in order for the Athenian

In ancient Greece there were two major polises which allowed the Greek culture to achieve greatness during the 400-500 B.C.E. era. These two polises were Athens and Sparta; both city states differed in many ways before the start of the Persian War. There were low rugged mountains that separated these two city states so communication and travel were difficult. The government of these two city states can be seen as a primary difference between the two. Draco, Solon, Pisistratus, and Cleithenes were four leaders that greatly influenced the political development of Athens. Athens and Sparta differed primarily in their political, social, and economical aspects. But there were other difference that Athens and Sparta share which I will examine in this essay.

Sparta, it appears, had fewer changes to government over time as compared to Athens. In fact, it adhered to a military oligarchy most of its existence. Pre-Classical Greece saw a Dorian movement take place after the Trojan war. Along with the Aetolians, they invaded the Peloponnesus from across the Corinthian Gulf (Halsall, 1999). The Aetolians settled while the Dorians divided into two forces and continued on where one force took over Messenia and the other moved into Laconia and Sparta. This new city and surrounding area were not dominant or influential. In fact, there were internal struggles and disagreements. The community showed little cohesion as a group. This crossroad marked a change to the government. Lycurgus accomplished the consolidation

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.

Sparta is considered by many people as the greatest and most powerful city in Greece for its great strength and power among the other city-states on the Peloponnese peninsula. When you look at Sparta compared to its rival city-states, is it really as great as we think it is? After all, it only lasted 300 years. Sparta’s weaknesses definitely outweighed its strengths. There are many factors to support how Sparta dug its own grave, but the main reasons are because of their lack of education, abusive ways, and their overpopulation of helots (Slaves).

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).

Militarist systems of government have been instituted in many nations around the world; however one of the earliest and most extreme examples of this system is that of Sparta.

The history of Sparta was the great exception to the political evolution of the city-states. Despite the fact that Spartans in the end were all Greek, Sparta failed to ever move in the direction of democratic rule. Instead, its government evolved into something more closely resembling a modern day dictatorship. If the Spartans had followed the other Greek city-states in their political practices they might have been able to avoid their own downfall and could have even become stronger.

Around 500 BCE, a city-state on the Peloponnese peninsula Began to grow. This city-state is Sparta that bagan has just a cluster of houses on the Evrotas River.The boys would go to Military School from 8 to 20 years in age, practicing the Phalanx and other Military practices, the Men were ready to fight.In 431 BCE, Sparta and Athens broke out in a 25-year war known as the Peloponnesian War.In the end, Sparta did win against Athens, but both of them had suffered.In Sparta the weaknesses outweighs the strengths because the Helots the slaves do their dirty work, boys were abused ,the Spartans had a weak education.

Athens’ governmental shift in 501 BC was unprecedented and innovative, being the first notable implementation of democracy in an ancient world inundated in monarchy. This form of government, founded by Cleisthenes, has been instrumental in Western Civilization, especially since the modern age. Democracy gave Athens life, providing not only a well functioning governing system, but also enabling the city-state to grow and survive multiple Persian invasions. However, at the dawn of the Athenian empire and the rise of Pericles, democracy began to die, and Greeks lost their love of freedom when they sought power and glory through their military conquests. I argue that Athenian’s rejection of democracy can be seen through their

The Greeks introduced a new way of fighting “ Phalanx” this was consistent of fighting in units, according to the human web this development was vital and particular to the Polis:” Phalanx fighting had the effect of checking individual rivalries by transferring heroic pursuit of fame and glory from individual warriors to the Polis as a whole.”(69) This allowed city-states such as Athens and Sparta to rise and become influential in Greek civilization. Not only did this assure security at the Polis, but it also allowed Greek culture to spread throughout the Mediterranean, resulting in the foundations of new City states. However some people might argue that this was ultimately the downfall of the Greek classic age, with no unity throughout Greece itself with the exception of the time during the Persian invasion in 480 B.C.E, this allowed other more powerful states such as Athens and Sparta to conquer surrounding city states, according to the book the human web these ideas were based upon the notion of justice:” This collided with deep-seated notions of justice, so empire building first by Athenians, then Spartans, led only to failure, as rival coalitions formed to defeat them.” (74) Showing the ultimate flaw of the Polis, and that ultimately Greece was made up from independent states, as

In 404 before chrisms, there was the defeat of Athens. What happened is that the Spartans allowed the people of Athens to take over the rule of the thirty tyrants that was between 404 and 403 BC. Based on the Britannica, “Spartan-imposed oligarchy that ruled Athens after the Peloponnesian War. Thirty commissioners were appointed to the oligarchy, which had an extremist conservative core, led by Critias.”. Then the Spartans tried to replace that Thirty Tyrants with a new democracy.