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Athens And Sparta Democracy Vs Dictatorship Case Study

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History 1421 Week One Written Assignment University of the people Abstract This week, as a prompt for our written assignment we were given five questions relating to the text provided as week one’s reading material, “Athens & Sparta: Democracy vs. Dictatorship” by Dr. Peter J. Brand; how did people in Athens and Sparta obtain the right to participate in public life and make decisions affecting the community, who held public office, what rules governed the selection of public office holders, how were the two city-states similar in their governmental structures, and how did they differ. I attempt herein to answer these questions in a succinct manner with proper APA format and citation. I will show that both Athens and Sparta began as oligarchies, …show more content…

In Spartan society there were four groups of people involved in the making of policy (Brand, n.d.) There were the two royal houses; the Agiads and the Eurypontids. There was from each house a King, and while on the battlefield a kings word was law, but at other times they were often subject to the Gerousia, or “elder council,” and five annually selected councilmen known as “Ephoroi.” There was also a monthly assembly, the Ekklēsia, which was comprised of all the male citizens who chose to attend, that voted by shouting (Cartwright, 2013), but this assembly had considerably less influence. In Athenian society there was a sort of democracy, the first in recorded history, but political rights and the power to vote was held by a relatively small group. Only free adult males with Athenian parents were eligible. While this also seems like an oligarchy today, it gave voice to a much larger portion of society than any of its contemporaries.(Brand, …show more content…

Sparta seemed intent on consolidating power amongst its aristocratic families, while Athens moved in a different direction, attempting to keep power from gathering around any specific group, How were the two city-states similar in their governmental structures, and how did they differ? Both societies had a public assembly in which every citizen could make themselves heard. Both had relatively short terms of public office, (excluding the Gerousia) and both believed in reaching a consensus before enacting policy. Athens had a much larger group of citizens who had a much greater influence on matters of policy, and Sparta was a much more streamlined machine, geared toward making war, and maintaining military readiness. Conclusion Neither society was as inclusive as most modern societies, but both had things they held ideologically important, and did very well. We would do well to look upon the successes and eventual catastrophic failure of both societies, and avoid the same pitfalls-many of which are present in the current global political landscape. It is fascinating to me that Sparta lives in infamy to this day, despite the dearth of archeological remains when compared with Athens. What will be said of our society after it has faded into antiquity bears

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Athens vs. Sparta DBQ Athens and Sparta were two of the world's greatest ancient civilizations. Though they were both city-states in Greece they had their differences. Some of the largest contrasts were education, government, and the roles girls and women played in their societies. In Sparta the schools for children were very harsh and military based.

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Zareef Peeroo Tim Bailey October 15, 2014 Athenians vs. Spartans The differences between government, the role of women, and the education status of Athens and Sparta led to similar yet very different societies residing in the same area; therefor I will deconstruct these issues using an analytical comparative framework. In, Athens and Sparta, it shows all the differences between the Athenians and the Spartans. Although the two City States shared a common heritage, their differences grew so large in their own minds that they were ultimately willing to engage in a life-and-death struggle to support their separate realities (Spielvogel).

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Second, due to the government in Sparta Sparta was more organized than Athens. Athens used a form of government called a Democracy, ruled by the people. Since the people of Athens may have different opinions, leading

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Even to this day, we still use Athens and Sparta’s societal systems and structures because they were so revolutionary. Athens even introduced the idea of democracy, and Sparta had a strong military culture. Although Athens and Sparta were close together, Athens focused on leadership and education while Sparta focused on the military and war. However, due to their different governments and cultures, each has their strengths and weaknesses. However, because Athens focuses on its future leaders, Athens is the better model for a society.

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Athens vs. Sparta Whether it's government, education, art, or military, Athens and Sparta have always had many similarities as well as differences in ancient Greece. Sparta and Athens did not share the same view and opinions. As a result of these disagreements, the two ancient Greek city-states were rivals. They both had very different methods of teaching, military training, women's rights, and more. Spartans focused most on the training of war, and Athens focused most on knowledge and intelligence.

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Today, many of the world’s government structures were based on the principle of one of Greece’s city-states. Greece became a country advancing well before its time, strong in both military and brain power. This country was able to produce two city-states that became foundations to advancing the rest of the world. The first city-state, Athens, is thought to be the first to implement a democratic government while Sparta became known for their military power. While Athens and Sparta provide the world with advancements they differ in the ways of government structures, social motivations, and cultural differences.

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Athens and Sparta, located between the Aegean and the Ionian Sea, allied with each other in the Greco-Persian war. Due to the advanced and powerful navy of Athens incorporation with the well-built army of Sparta, they gained victory over the Persian Empire. After the victory, Athens gained wealth and dominance over the other Greek societies causing tensions between Sparta. They both share similarities towards their cultural background but had different views in creating an ideal society in addition to their state’s place in the world. Moreover, they differ from the concepts of a well trained or educated society and a well built military, but share similarities in their government format.

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The Athenian and the Spartan civilizations were very unique and different but the people shared many similar ideas. The Athenians believed that their government was original and that everyone should participate directly in government. On the other hand, the Spartans believed that every man should train for the military. Both the Spartans and Athenians believed in an equal society where the members were devoted to the polis. During this time, Athens supported a democracy.

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