Samantha Mia Caldera

February 12, 2018

Period: 4

Athens And Sparta

Similarities
And Differences
 Athens and Sparta are both Greek cities and although they weren’t that far apart
they were actually as different as they could possibly be. Athens and Sparta were
different in many topics, for example; in government, economy, education, and also
how they would treat the women and the slaves. Although they had many differences
they actually had some similarities. Athens and Sparta had completely different ways
of how they treated people and their forms of government, which is one of the many
differences about them. One of the main things that causes differences of Athens and
Sparta is that Athens mainly focuses on good citizenship and well education and
Sparta focuses on military. There are still many other similarities and differences of
Athens and Sparta and they will be explained in this essay.

Government
Athenian Government
Around 500 B.C.E. the city of Athens had become a democracy. But their
democracy was unlike all modern democracies because they allowed only free men to
be the citizens. The women and slaves in Athens were not citizens, but all men over the
age of eighteen who had been born in Athens were Athenian citizens. All the citizens
were able to take in the city’s government, and a group which had been called the
Council of 500 and they would meet every day. The council would run the day-to-day
business of government and suggested new laws. The proposed laws need to be
proposed by a larger group, which is the Assembly. At their meetings at least 6,00
people needed to be present for a meeting to take place. If not the right amount of
people showed up the slaves would need to gather up more citizens but they would
gather them with ropes that were dipped with red paint, they would do this because
the men would get embarrassed if their clothes had been stained with red paint. The
Assembly would also debate and vote on laws that had been proposed by the council.
All the citizens were able to speak at their meetings. Some of the speakers were more
skilled so they spoke longer, the speaker would talk only until every bit of water had
run out of the top cup and into the bottom cup. The Athenian men had enjoyed
gathering and also debating issues. They had also usually enjoyed taking part in the
city’s democracy, they had been proud of their freedom as Athenian citizens.

Spartan Government
 One of the many reasons of how Athens and Sparta were different was because
of the government. Since, Athens was a democracy Sparta was an oligarchy, so that
means that the ruling power is in the hands of a few people. Like Athens Sparta
actually had an Assembly. The important decisions were actually made by a smaller
group which were called the Council of Elders. The Council of Elders had consisted of
two kings and also 28 other men. If you wanted to be elected to them you needed to be
60 years old and you needed to have come from a noble family. The candidates who
had received the loudest support were the ones who were elected and they would
serve for life until they died. They also prepared laws for the Assembly to vote on , and
it also had the power to stop any laws passed by the Assembly that the council
members did not like. The Assembly in Sparta were male citizens. The Assembly had
very little power unlike the Assembly in Athens they did not debate issues. Although
the assembly in Athens had debated issues the Assembly of Sparta did not. Members of
the Assembly could not vote yes or no on laws that had been suggested by the Council
of Elders.

Similarities In Government
Although Athens and Sparta were very different cities, they actually had some
similarities for example; with government, economy, and many more. One of the
similarities with government that Athens and Sparta had was that although Athens
was a democracy and Sparta was an oligarchy in their government the both types of
governments had included smaller councils. Another similarity is that in their
government the assemblies were made up of free adult males which meant that only
the adult men had been included and be allowed to speak their mind or what they feel.
Also, both Athens and Sparta would choose their rulers during the time of the
assembly and also the council which elected the rulers. A similarity is that the women
and also the slaves weren’t able to take part in the government. This was because the
women were expected to be good mothers and the since the slaves were not
considered citizens they didn’t get the chance to participate in everything because
they were always expected to do exactly as they had been told.

Differences in Government
Athens and Sparta were completely different types of cities of one of the many
things that differentiated in was the government. Something that was different from
their forms of government was that Athens form of government was a democracy and
Sparta’s form of government was an oligarchy. Also, that in Athens the members of the
council were chosen at random and they were to serve one-year terms. When in Sparta
the council members were elected for life until they had died or until they had been
forced out of office. Something else is that in Sparta the kings and also council had
been monitored by ephors. An ephor is someone that was part of the five senior
Spartan magistrates. In Athens everyone was able to vote and they also had assembly’s
for rule, when in Sparta they had a council that would make the laws for them. Another
difference is that Sparta was very dedicated to their military and Athens had been
more focused on being good citizens and being intelligent. The courts of Athens were
actually managed by large citizen juries. In Athens the important decisions were made
by a much larger group which was the Assembly and in Sparta the important decisions
were made by a much smaller group which was the Council of Elders.

Economy
Athenian Economy
One of the most important parts of a community is the economy. An economy
is the way a community or also region organizes the manufacture and also exchange of
money, food, products, and also services. The Athenian economy had relied on trade
because the land around Athens did not provide enough food for all of the people.
Since, Athens was located near the sea it had a good harbor. Since, they did not have
very much land so they had depended on trade. Athens would trade with other city-
states or also foreign lands so that they could gather all the goods and also the natural
resources that they needed. They also had received wood from Italy and grain from
Egypt. In return they would give the other city-states honey, olive oil, silver, and also
beautifully painted pottery. Besides trading the Athenians had bought and also sold
goods at a huge marketplace which was called an agora. All the merchants would sell
their produce or items from their own individual stand. The people would buy a
variety of produce for example; onions, lettuce, olive oil, wine, and also many other
foods. The people were also able to buy household items like pottery, furniture, and
also clay oil lamps. Many of the Athenians had made their clothes at home, but they
would buy leather sandals and also jewelry and they were also very popular at the
marketplace. One of the many things that the athenians had bought and sold at the
agora were slaves. Eventually, Athens had developed its own type of coins to help
make trade easier. Athenians enjoyed decorating their coins so one of the sides had an
image of Athena on it and on the other side was an image of an owl because that was
Athena’s favorite bird.

Spartan Economy
 Although, the Athenian economy had depended on trade because they
didn’t have much land, Sparta had depended on farming and also on conquering other
people. The reason for this was because Sparta did not have enough land to provide
food for all their people. So, because of this reason the Spartan’s would take the land
that they needed from their neighbors, since the Spartan men had actually spent most
of their lives as warriors Sparta had decided to use slaves and also the non-citizens to
help them produce the foods that they needed for their people. When the Spartans
conquered the land that they needed they would turn the neighbors that they had
conquered into slaves, which they had called helots. The helots had continued to live in
their villages, but as helots they needed to give away much of the food that they had
grown to the Spartan citizens. Spartans had also made another use of non-citizens,
which were called perioikoi, and they were actually free men. Some of them served in
the army when they needed to, but they were not able to take part in the Spartan
government. They also made different items that were very necessary at the time
which were items such as shoes, red cloaks that the soldiers had used, knives, spears,
and also pottery. Some of the perioikoi would conduct the trade with other city-states
for goods that the Spartans were not able to provide for themselves. Sparta had
discouraged trade because they feared that the contact with other city-states would
lead the other city-states to have ideas to try and weaken their form of government.

Similarities in Economy
There were not many similarities between athens and Sparta, but there were
many differences, but here are some of the differences between Athens and Sparta.
One of the many similarities of Athens and Sparta is that both cities had owned slaves,
and they both actually had a large amount of slaves which was about 100,000. Another
similarity between Athens and Sparta is that both of the Greek cities had relied on
slaves to do their work for them instead of them doing their work for themselves. Also,
although they both had different strategies to solve this problem they both had the
same problem which was that they did not have enough farmland to provide all the
food that they needed for their people. So, the both cities had the same problem but
they had different solutions to their problems.

Differences in Economy
Athens and Sparta had many differences based on their economy and one of
the many differences is that Athens had depended on trade because they didn’t have
enough land to provide food for all of their people. When in Sparta they depended on
conquering other land and other people. Another difference is that in Athens they
would trade items and different varieties of items or buy produce at a marketplace
which was called an agora. I Sparta they would make the helots give them most of the
food that they had grown, and they would also trade their slaves for different goods
and resources. Another difference is that the Spartans wouldn’t trade because they
were very suspicious of other city-states and they felt that they would make plans to
weaken their government. Sparta was mainly an agricultural land because of its inland
location. Athens became the foremost trading power of the Mediterranean by the 5th century
BC. In Athens you would also see ships sailing in and out Athens everyday because that
is also how they would trade when they weren’t able to go to the location by land and
that is also one of the main ways of how they were able to trade with different places
for example; as we said before Egypt and also Italy. The Athenian economy had thrived
more than the Spartan economy because of their trade. Another difference is that the
Spartan economy was made to be able to function properly during the time of war.

Education
Athenian Education
The Athenians mainly depended on having good citizens and they believed
that producing good citizens was actually the main purpose of education, so that is
what they mainly focused on teaching the scholars. Since, in Athens only boys had
grown up to be citizens the boys and girls were educated differently. The Athenians
also believed that in order to be a good citizen you needed to have a sharp mind and
you also need to have a healthy body. Until the age of 6 or 7 boys had been taught at
home by their mothers or even by male slaves. At the age of 6 to 14 the boys went to
school and they were taught reading, writing, arithmetic, and also literature. Since
books were very expensive they were taught out loud and the boys needed to
memorize everything. To write they would use writing tablets. Coaches would teach
them different sports such as wrestling and also gymnastics to help strengthen their
muscles. Boys also studied music and they learned to sing, and also play the lyre. At the
age of 18 they were young men and they began they began their military training. After
their time of service the wealthy young men would might study with private teachers.
These teachers would charge high fees for lessons in debate and also public speaking
and this would help the young men be able to become intelligent political leaders when
they come of age. Unlike the boys most of the girls did not read or write, actually
instead they were taught to cook, clean, spin thread, and also weave cloth because
when they were older and have husbands they were expected to have done all the
housework. The girls who had come from wealthy families married men which had
been chosen by their father. The girls from the poor families had no choice.
 Spartan Education
In Sparta the main purpose of education was to produce men and also women
who as adults would have all the courage and the strength to protect their city-state if
a war had occured. When a baby had been born if it did not appear to be strong and
healthy it was left to die on a hillside. As you can see the Spartans had valued strength
and also discipline. At the age of 7, all Spartan children needed to be trained to fight.
Even the girls had received some military training. They learned different sports such
as; wrestling, foot-racing, boxing, and also gymnastics. The boys lived in buildings
which had been called barracks and they would also train in them. The scholars had
also been taught to read and write, but the Spartans did not believe that it was as
important as being able to fight and defend yourself so that when you would grow up
you would be able to protect the city-state. The boys had been taught to be able to
suffer any obstacle that had been given to them, for example; they marched without
shoes, and they were not fed very well. They had also been encouraged to steal food
but they could not get caught. At the age of 20 years old the Spartan men had been
given a test of fitness, military ability, and also leadership skills. If they had passed
they were to become soldiers and full citizens. Even if they had not passed the test a
man was not allowed to live at home with his wife and family until he was about 30
years of age. And his military service needed to continue long after that.

Similarities in Education
Athens and Sparta are very different because Athens had focused more on
good citizenship and on intelligence meanwhile Sparta focused on producing strong
men and women, although they had many differences they also had some similarities.
One of the similarities between the education of Athens and Sparta is that when they
learned to read and also write they used the Greek alphabet and they also used the
Greek language. Also, although Sparta had focused more on military both cities
developed very healthy and strong, military, navy, and army. Another similarity is that
they were most of the same sports to strengthen their muscles and those sports were;
wrestling, and also gymnastics.

Differences in Education
There are in fact many differences in education between the cities Athens and
Sparta. One of the many differences is that in Athens they would teach the girls how to
weave cloth, spin thread, cook, and also clean. When in Sparta they would teach the
girls wrestling, gymnastics, foot-racing, etc. Another difference is that in Sparta at the
age of 7 years old boys were taken to the camp to begin their training for the army.
Meanwhile in Athens at the age of 6 to 7 boys were still being taught at home by their
mother or a male slave. Also, that Athens had broad education for boys. A difference is
that although they trained the boys for the military in Athens in Sparta they would
teach them to be able to suffer any amount of pain that they had been given for
example not eating or walking barefoot all day. In Athens once a man was of age he
would become a political leader, when in Sparta when a man became of age they
needed to take a test in order to become a true citizen and also to become part of the
army.

Women and Slaves

Women and Slaves in Athens
In Athens only men were considered citizens and the women and slaves were
not. In Athens the women and slaves had far fewer rights than the men did. For
example; the Athenian women were not able to inherit or own a lot of property, they
weren’t able to vote or attend the Assembly. Sadly, most weren’t able to choose their
own husband. Some women sold produce in the agora and only a few of the women
were priestesses. Most had spent their days managing the household by cleaning,
cooking, spinning, weaving, separating the rooms or even supervising the slaves. Some
would educate their son until they were the age of 7 and they would teach their
daughters until they were 15 and ready to be married. There were actually many slaves
in Athens, and most of the people who weren’t poor had at least owned one. Some
slaves had been born into slavery and others had become slaves when they had been
captured in the wars. They would run households, and also tutor the Athenian
children, some worked in farms or even factories. The unluckiest slaves worked in the
silver mines with very little air to breathe and if they stopped to rest they would get
whipped and they would often work at least 10 hours a day.

Women and Slaves in Sparta

In Sparta the women had lived the same simple life that the men did. In Sparta
a women was always expected to look after her husband’s property during the times of
war. Not only that but she also had to guard it against the invaders and the revolts
from the slaves. An advantage was that the Spartan women had many rights that many
other Greek women did not have. For example; they were able to speak with their
husbands friends, they could control and own their own property. They were also
allowed to marry another man, but only if their husband had been away at war for too
long. In Sparta there were many more helots than citizens. But the Spartans were
afraid that eventually the helots would revolt, so just in case the Spartans treated them
very harshly. Sometimes the government would end up declaring war on the helots so
that it could legally kill any slaves it thought might rebel against them. Eventually, the
Spartans had killed everyone of them to eliminate any possible chances of future helot
leaders. Despite that treatment, the helots did in fact have some rights. Which were;
they could marry whoever and whenever they wanted, they could pass their names
onto their children, also they could sell any extra crops they had left after they had
given their master his share. If they saved enough money eventually they could buy
their freedom.

Similarities in Women
and Slaves
One of the many similarities between Athens and Sparta of women and slaves is
that the women and also the slaves were not able to take part in the government. Also,
that both cities owned a large amount of slaves and it was about 100,000. Another
similarity between Athens and Sparta is that the poor were not considered as citizens
of the city. Another similarity is that the women and slaves were not able to attend or
participate in the Assemblies. Also, that the slaves had far fewer right compared to all
the rights that the men had. A similarity is that from the age of 6 to 7 the women would
educate their son’s at home. Both city-states believed that women should be held in
private life and also take care of their young children. In both cities the slaves were
allowed to work at home or also trade or work as farmers. In both cities the girls
needed to get married at a young age which was about 14 to 15. Also, in the both cities
the women were more treated like property.

Differences in Women and Slaves

One of the many differences between Athens and Sparta of women and slaves is
that in Sparta the women had many more rights than other Greek women, when in
Athens the women had no rights compared to all the rights that the men had. Another
difference is that in Athens the slaves were forced into labor, when in Sparta they had
some rights. One of the many differences is that in Sparta eventually when the slaves
had enough money they would be able to buy their freedom so that they wouldn’t need
to be a slave any longer. A difference is that in Sparta the city depended more on
slaves and also other noncitizens to provide for many of their needs. Another
difference is that in Athens they had expected the women to managing the household
and taking care of their child. In Sparta the women were expected to be healthy and
strong, so that they would be prepared for a fight to protect their city-state. In Athens
women were only able to go out in public to go to weddings, funerals, religious
festivals, or even to visit their female friends. Also, in Sparta the slaves also had some
rights which were that they were able to marry whomever whenever, they could pass
their name onto their child and also that they could sell extra crops they had after
giving their master his share. Eventually, when they had saved up enough money they
were also able to buy their freedom. Another difference is that Sparta treated their
slaves much more harshly than Athens because they were afraid that eventually the
slaves might revolt.

Lastly, as you can see Athens and Sparta were very different from each other,
but they did in fact have some similarities. Athens and Sparta had many differences
and similarities in the way they treated women and slaves, the way the economy was,
the form of government, and also by the form of education. Athens and Sparta were
completely different and didn’t always agree on everything but they did in fact have
some things in common.