Ancient Societies: Early Sparta Vs. Athens

Early Sparta and Athens were strikingly different ancient societies, one centered around their military and one centered around philosophy. Their definition of equality was astoundingly different than what the world thinks now, as women were mostly deemed unimportant and their slaves were human property. Military was forced upon many men, and the classes that made up the societies were usually unchangeable. However, Sparta was a fundamentally more equal society than Athens because of its closer classes, the equality amongst men, and the equality amongst women.

Though large change did not occur often with Spartan societies, all men lived similarly and had the same opportunities whereas in Athens, the rich lived extravagant lives while the peasants

If one was born a male in Athens, their whole future would depend on which family they were born into. Being born rich most likely meant that one would remain rich, and the poor would remain poor. All able Spartan boys enter the army at the age of seven, and each would have equal opportunity to succeed. However, there was also a group of men in Sparta that were extremely mistreated: the helots. Slaves were not really considered part of the community because they were not “citizens,” but they were not given much opportunity to rise even though they made up a majority of the population. Another contrasting aspect in the two societies is education. Spartan boys are taught in the army, each receiving the same military education, while only the privileged Athenians can pay for schooling. Still, each Spartan child is prepared to serve their purpose in the army, and for nothing else, being unprepared to accustom to life after the army, while only the rich Athenians are expected to succeed, and are given a full education. Again, the larger, helot portion of the society is completely excluded from this, as are the slaves in Athens, as neither are considered citizens. Their education is of no importance to the state, though at that time the helot use of the Spartans was all that kept them running. Lastly, as stated before, in Sparta men of lower class had the same opportunities as men in the

Because the younger men were mostly in the army, women were forced to play greater roles in Spartan society. They participated more in business, going outside to do work, and taking some jobs that men may have previously held. In Athens, women with any power would always stay indoors, allowing slaves to work for them. A woman from a rich family seen outdoors would be a dishonor to them, as it shows their lack of power, so higher-class women only left their houses for social events. Girls in Sparta were also given much more control over their lives, which Athenian girls lacked. On average, women in Sparta were married at the age of eighteen to boys their own age, while in Athens, girls were married off to men ten to fifteen years older than them in their early teens. Spartan women also had more choice in decisions like abortion and divorce. In Athens, abortion was commonplace, and many times girls or defected children were left to die, or killed before birth. Spartans saw all people as important, and though they allowed girls to live mainly so that they could eventually have boys, it is a much tamer option for females. Athenian women could not even represent themselves in legal matters, needing their husband or their father as a representative, and the only financial part of their life, which they could control, was their dowry.