Ancient GreeceSparta and Athens

Government Types• Aristocrat: Greek city-states controlled by the Nobles• Military, economy, judges, laws & punishments, and religion. 700-

600BC

• Tyrant: A leader who illegally took power. • Sometimes supported by people, other times the tyrants were

brutal. 650-500 BC

• Popular Gov’t: People can and should rule themselves.

• Democracy in Athens: A government where citizens take part

HOPLITE – A nonaristocratic soldier• Heavy infantry

who created • powerful hoplite

formations.

• Demanded more say in daily government.

Spartan SocietyEquals

Half-Citizen

sHelots

Helots: Invaders from the north conquered this land and made the people become their slaves.The invaders named their capitol Sparta

Descendants from the Invaders. They controlled the city-state.

Free citizens who paid taxes and served in the army. NO political power.

Force was used to control them

Sparta’s Government• 2 Kings: 1 for the Army 1 for matters at

home

• Council of Elders: 28 Male citizens over 60 (wealthy, aristocratic)• Proposed laws and served as a criminal court

• Assembly: Voted to accept or reject laws proposed by the Council of Elders.• Elected 5 ephors for one-year terms. Made sure that the

kings stayed within the law. Also, complete control over the education of young Spartans.

Sparta’s Military• Goal: Make every adult male part of a military machine.• Unhealthy children were left to die• Lycurgus “The Spartans bathed their infants in wine rather

than water, to test and toughen their bodies. Children were subject to strict discipline from the start, and were taught not to be afraid in the dark, not to be finicky about their food, and not to be peevish [moody] and tearful.” (HOLT World History)

• Age 7 boys left home. Ages 18-20 they trained for war.

• Age 20, Spartans began military service.• They could marry, but didn’t live at home until 30.• Available for military service until age 60.

Compare and Contrast

300 VS. History

Spartans

• Spartan Women also were removed from home at age 7• School = wrestling, gymnastics, fighting, and other physical

training. Strong Mothers = Strong Children• Married at 18-20. Different then Athenian Women.

One favorite story was a bout a boy who followed the Spartan code. He captured a live fox and intended to eat it. Although boys were encouraged to scrounge for food, they were punished if caught. The boy noticed some Spartan soldiers coming, and hid the fox beneath his shirt. When the soldiers confronted him, he allowed the fox to chew into his stomach rather than confess, and showed no sign of pain in his body or face. This was the Spartan Way.

Athens: Birth of Democracy• Least fertile areas in Greece• Sea Traders• City was built inland to avoid pirates• Built on the rocky hill of the Acropolis

Athenian SocietyCitizensMetics

Slaves

Athenian-born Men: Political Rights

WomenFree adults who were not citizensPaid TaxesNo Government Power

Slaves were people captured in war

(Freemen)

Athenian Government

Citizens who owned land held office. Elected 9 Archons to be one-year term rulers.

Draco: Draconian Laws – First written law code around 621 BCSolon: Archon in 594 BC who outlawed slavery for debtPeisistratus: 546-527 BC Tyrant Clashed with NoblesCleisthenes: 508 BC Created the Direct Democracy vs. Council of Five Hundred Representative Democracy

Athens Daily Life• Terracing – Carving small, flat plots of land from

hillside:• Olives, Grapes, and Figs No grain due to landscape

• Established Trade: Exported Olive Oil, Wine, and Household Items

Home Life:• Parents arranged the marriage: Girls married at

age 13-14 Boys married at age 26 or older.• Reason for marriage: Children• Women were considered inferior: Citizens, but

couldn’t vote or own land.

• Pedagogue: Male Slave who taught manners to boy at age 7. They went to school with them: Reading, Writing, Poetry, Grammar, Music, and Gymnastics

• Sound Mind in a Healthy Body

Helen of Troy

• 400 BC: Men called Sophists opened schools.

Sophos = Wise• Studied government, mathematics, ethics, and

rhetoric. • Ethics: Good & Bad, Moral Duty Rhetoric: Oratory,

Public Speaking

Athenian

Education

Reading, writing,

grammar, poetry, music,

gymnasticsGovernme

nt, mathematics, ethics, rhetoric

Training in

fighting and

weapons

Manners

Elementary School

Sophist School

Military Training

Pedagogue