Even though Athens and Sparta were both city-states of Greek culture and had some similar governmental structures, they differed very much in the way each society was governed.
Spartan society was a warrior society and this influenced every aspect of the Spartan way of life. Only free Spartan men had the right to participate in public life and making decisions that affected the community. Other elements of the Spartan society, such as women, Periokoi (neighboring non-Spartans) and Helots (serf slaves), had no saying in any decision making. Nevertheless, there was still inequality between the free Spartan men. For instance, the only way to participate in public life was by selective process of dining system called Syssitia which were a common meal in groups. Failure to be accepted to a group made one an outcast.
On the other hand, Athenians were not a warrior society, yet they shared a common trait with the Spartans. Only free Athenian men were allowed to participate in public life and be decision makers. Women, slaves and Metics (foreigners) “who together made up the large majority of the adult population of Athens, had no say in government whatsoever.“ (Brand, n.d., p. 29). Despite this similarity, the way Athenian citizens participated in public life was different to that of the Spartans, for all citizens took part in the government, without the
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There was also an assembly of all the Spartan citizens, that met monthly. Regardless, the “assembly’s power was strictly limited by the formal or informal power of the Ephors and the Gerousia” (Brand, n.d., p. 10) This shows that the Spartan government wasn’t a democracy since the assembly did not have much power and didn’t make the decisions. The selection of most public posts was determined by wealth, and the high positions were always for the