Athens Vs Sparta

Public Life in Athens and Sparta

Anonymous Student

University of the People

HIST 1421 – Greek & Roman Civilization

Public Life in Athens and Sparta

Introduction

Athens and Sparta, the two most renowned cities in Greece at the time, were vastly different in their political structure but equally contributed to the cultural change in Greece’s and the overall region’s history. Even though the two cities and its people had different structures, priorities and belief systems with regard to politics, pieces of each are still visible in modern-day politics. This paper will depict how the people of each city participated in public and community life, and how these two cities are similar and different.

How did people in Athens and Sparta

29). Its number one aim was to create a powerful army of warriors, and did so by mandating enrollment of its young boys into military training, which commenced at the age of seven. Much like dictatorships of the recent century like the Nazi regime, Sparta aimed to produce and keep only the strongest and best men to make up its army and the best women to bear more healthy children that would become future soldiers and child bearers (p. 6). Sparta’s powerful warrior force conquered many cities and converted their civilians into slaves called helots, but as the population of helots kept growing, the Spartans continued to rule by fear, themselves fearing that the helots could overthrow the leadership (p.

28). Athens was still very much class-based, however, and an individual’s wealth determined which political offices they could seek. Annual income was expressed in terms of the bushels of grain (p. 28). The top 3 classes of citizens were classified as “500-bushel men” (these could hold the highest positions in office), “300-bushel men” (who could provide horses for the military and serve in lower political offices) and “200-bushel men” (who could serve as Hoplites in the army and hold the most minor of offices) (p. 28). These 3 classes comprised the Thetes, and all citizens below these classes were considered poor, and could not hold public office, but could vote in the Assembly and serve as rowers in the navy (p.