Athens and Sparta in Ancient Greece

Ancient Greece City-States

• Ancient Greece was not a unified country, but rather composed of different city-states that created their own laws and societal structures.
• Athens and Sparta were the two most powerful and famous city-states in ancient Greece, located on the Greek peninsula.

Athens

• Named after the Greek goddess Athena, Athens was an educated and intellectually inclined society that valued being well-rounded and educated.
• Boys in Athens went to school to learn about art, history, literature, philosophy, public speaking, science, arithmetic, and sports.
• Athens possessed a strong navy, which they utilized for creating a vast trade network with their many allies.
• Athens was the largest of all Greek city-states and is seen as a major cultural influence to the modern world.

Sparta

• Spartan society was essentially the opposite of Athenian culture, valuing strength, size, and fighting ability above all else.
• In ancient Sparta, training, discipline, and fighting skills were the number one priority, often taken to the extreme.
• Spartan women and slaves were treated better than in Athenian society, with more responsibilities and rights.
• Sparta possessed the strongest and largest infantry army in ancient Greece.

Government and Politics

• Athens is seen as the world's first democratic state, where the power rested in the hands of the people.
• The government of Athens was a direct democracy, where citizens directly participated in the process of government and had a voice and a vote in the decision-making process.
• Spartan government, on the other hand, was an oligarchy, where a small group of individuals held the power, with two kings and elected ephors at the head of the government.

Military

• Athenians possessed one of the largest and strongest navies of the ancient world.
• Spartan soldiers were highly feared amongst their enemies, and were thought of as some of the fiercest warriors of the ancient world.
• Spartan men were taught to fight and wield weaponry from an early age, making them highly skilled and feared soldiers.

Economics

• Athenians relied heavily on trade networks, which they cultivated using their navy.
• Spartans were more isolated and avoided trading with other groups, relying heavily on agriculture and the use of slaves.
• Spartans exploited the use of slaves to a much higher degree, treating them poorly.

Life and Culture

• In Athens, boys were encouraged to learn about art, philosophy, public speaking, mathematics, writing, etc.
• Life in Athens was very different from a typical day in Sparta, where strength and fighting abilities were valued above all else.
• Developing soldiers and maintaining their military superiority was the top priority of Spartan culture.

Gender Roles

• In ancient Athens, women were primarily treated as objects, with the sole purpose of producing babies.
• In Sparta, women were given more rights, as well as responsibilities, and were valued more as people.

Wars of Athens and Sparta

• Athens and Sparta fought together during the Persian Wars, but later developed a fierce and bitter rivalry.
• The Peloponnesian Wars were a series of conflicts between Athens and Sparta that lasted for 25 years, ultimately won by Sparta.
• The Delian League was disbanded in 404 B.C.E. after defeat in the Peloponnesian Wars, marking the end of the golden age of ancient Greece.