Describe The Differences Between Athens And Sparta

Written Assignment Unit 1

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University of the People

There were various ways people in Athens and Sparta could obtain the right to participate in public life and make decisions that affected their communities. In Sparta, being a free male citizen meant you were a member of the popular assembly. The assembly met monthly and gave Spartan men the right to vote for the annual Ephors and members of the Gerousia as seats became available. The popular assembly also made decisions about war and passing laws. In general, however, the power of the assembly was restricted by the Ephors and the Gerousia, which signals this system was far from a true democracy. Sparta’s aristocratic class also played a large role in one’s social and political standing. The Athenian people had

There were different levels of “classes”, and depending on which class they were in, they would be able to participate at varying levels. The lower classes could be paid to row on the trireme, and contribute to the military in this fashion, but only the wealthy classes could be Hoplite soldiers. Only free men, with Athenian parents had the right to be engaged in politics, and wealth played a large role on top of that restriction. The class levels, from the wealthiest to the poorest were the 500 bushel men, then the Horse men or 300 bushel men, followed by a type of middle class called the 200 bushel men, and finally the 199 or less bushel men. The last and final group were the poorest, landless men. These were still free men though and were able to vote in the assembly and work as rowers of the trireme. In both poleis, Sparta and Athens had rules on who would hold office, and rules that governed how they came to hold those positions. Sparta was an Oligarchy, so it was of critical importance to be a wealthy aristocrat to even consider