Athens and Sparta were the exact opposite of each other in almost every sense. Their differences in government, economy, education, and states of mind made them strong rivals and opponents but likewise, their similarities made them two of the most powerful city-states in Ancient Greece. During the Classical Period that lasted between 500 to 338 BCE, both Sparta and Athens competed for the leadership of the Hellenic world. During the Persian Wars, Sparta and Athens united forces to be able to defeat an empire giant, but fear and jealousy between the two states was too strong to forget. Consequently, in the Age of Pericles, Sparta formed the Peloponnesian League in response to the Delian League, controlled by Athens, leading to the Peloponnesian …show more content…
After the Persian Wars, the two powers could not come into agreement into what were their respective spheres of influence in Greece. Athens’ economy was based upon their agriculture, markets, revolutionary monetary system, and last but not least, their trade. The Athenian empire grew very quickly to be a force to reckon with as a trading and naval giant. This greatly upset the Spartans since for many decades, Sparta had the utmost absolute power in Greece due to its disciplined and exemplary army. Athens controlled the coastal and island areas in Greece while Sparta controlled most of the Peloponnese. Even though Sparta had good allies around Greece, the rising power of Athens was too much for them to accept. In many ways, two suns cannot shine upon the same sky. Another factor in the outbreak of the war was the contrasting differences between their political systems. One might say that they couldn’t be more unalike. Sparta was very conservative and closed out to the rest of the world. Their government was governed by two kings, one of which had military power and the other one had religious power, while being advised by the Council of Elders. Athens was quite radical to Sparta in the way that it was very individualistic. The citizens of Athens concerned themselves with ethics and politics, and greatly exercised their own invention of democracy through voting. Their military ideals were also opposing unsurprisingly. Sparta was always the “protector” of Greece and was only concerned with the prowess of their army and warrior men. Sparta was always called to defend Greece in wars and battles due to their expertise and specialization in the area. Athens, in contrast, viewed themselves as conquerors and tried to expand their influence as much as they could possess during this