Athens v. Sparta
The two rivals of ancient Greece that
For many years, Spartan armies provided
made the most noise and gave us the most
much of the defense of the Greek lands. The
traditions were Athens and Sparta. They were
Spartan
close together on a map, yet far apart in what
Thermopylae,
they valued and how they lived their lives.
inspired all of Greece to fight back with all
One of the main ways they were similar
Sparta
had
an
Assembly,
whose
members were elected by the people. Sparta
at
during
the
the
Battle
Persian
of
Wars,
their might against the invading Persians.
was in their form of government. Both Athens
and
heroism
Athenian and Spartan fought side by side
in the Battle of Plataea, which ended Persian
invasions of Greece.
was ruled by two kings, who ruled until they
One way that Athens and Sparta really
died or were forced out of office. Athens was
differed was in their idea of getting along with
ruled by archons, who were elected annually.
the
Thus,
Athens'
content to keep to itself and provide army
government had leaders who were elected,
and assistance when necessary. Athens, on
Athens is said to have been the birthplace of
the other hand, wanted to control more and
democracy.
more
because
both
parts
of
Spartan life was simple. The focus was on
obedience
and
war.
Slavery
made
rest
of
of
the
the
Greeks.
land
Sparta
around
seemed
them.
This
eventually led to war between all the Greeks.
this
This was the Peloponnesian War. After many
possible by freeing the young men from
years of hard fighting, Sparta won the war. In
household and industrial duties and allowing
true Greek spirit, Sparta refused to burn the
them to focus on their military duties. Young
city of Athens. Rather, the culture and spirit
boys were trained to be warriors; young girls
of Athens was allowed to live on, as long as
were trained to be mothers of warriors.
the Athenians no longer desired to rule their
Athenian life was a creative wonderland.
As
an
Athenian,
you
could
get
a
fellow Greeks. In this way, the influence of
good
Athens remained and grew stronger. Other
education and could pursue any of several
city-states had the same kinds of temples,
kinds of arts or sciences. You could serve in
buildings, and meeting-places, but it was
the army or navy, but you didn't have to.
Athens that became most famous.
(This applied only to boys, however: Girls
were restricted to other pursuits, not war or
business or education.)
White, David. “Athens & Sparta: Different Yet the Same.” Social Studies for Kids. Social Studies for
Kids. 2011. http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/worldhistory/athenssparta.htm
Two Faces of Greece: Athens & Sparta
Social Structures
Population
Athens
Approximately 140,000
• 40,000 male citizens
• 40,000 slaves
• 60,000 females / male non-citizens
By 432 BC, Athens had become the most populous
city-state in Hellas.
Sparta
Approximately 8,000 adult male citizens ruled over a
population of 100,000 enslaved and semi-enslaved people.
Freemen were all male citizens, divided into
numerous classes.
• The upper class=aristocrats with large estates .
• The middle ranks=small farmers.
• Members of the lowest class=urban craftsmen.
Spartiates: military professionals who lived mostly in barracks
and whose land was farmed by serfs; they served in the army
and could vote.
Metics - those who came from outside the city; they
were not allowed to own land, but could run
industries and businesses.
Perioeci or "neighbors/outsiders" were freemen. They
included artisans, craftsmen, merchants. They could not vote
or serve in the army. Foreigners could be in this class.
Slaves were lowest class, but less harshly treated
than in most other Greek cities. Slaves had no rights,
and an owner could kill a slave. Slaves varied in
status: some were given important roles in Athens,
like policemen.
Helots: serfs descended from those peoples who had resisted
subjugation by Sparta and who were constantly rebelling.
They were treated like slaves and gave 1/2 of their produce
to the citizens who owned the land.
Lifestyle
Women were rarely seen outside the home and had
no rights in the Athenian democracy.
Democratic values for citizens. They believed in
participation in government as a civic responsibility.
Athenians believed in their cultural superiority and in
their role in an empire and benefiting from trade. "
Militaristic values. Children of citizens were raised to be
"Spartan", taught to get along with almost nothing. Spartan
children were taught to respect elderly, women, and warriors.
Spartan mothers would say to their sons, "Either come back
with your shield or on it" (meaning return victorious or die
fighting).
Source Information: “Two Faces of Greece: Athens & Sparta. Empires. PBS. 2011. 2 Jan 2011.
http://www.pbs.org/empires/thegreeks/educational/lesson1.html
“Comparing Athens & Sparta.” Discovery Education. Discovery Education. 2011. 2 January 2011.
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/worksheets/spartans/worksheet1.html
Education in Athens & Sparta
Both daily life and education were very different in Sparta than in Athens or in the other ancient
Greek city-states.
ATHENS
in
a
life
of
discipline,
self-denial,
and
of
simplicity. They were very loyal to the state
education was to produce citizens trained in
of Sparta. Every Spartan, male or female,
the arts, and to prepare citizens for both
was required to have a perfect body.
In
ancient
Athens,
the
purpose
peace and war. Until age 6 or so, boys were
When babies were born in ancient Sparta,
taught at home by their mother or by a male
Spartan soldiers would come by the house
slave. From age 6 to 14, boys went to a
and check the baby. If the baby did not
neighborhood primary school or to a private
appear healthy and strong, the infant was
school. Books were very expensive and rare,
taken away, and left to die on a hillside, or
so subjects were read out-loud, and the boys
taken away to be trained as a slave (a helot).
had to memorize everything. To help them
Babies who passed this examination were
learn, they used writing tablets and rulers.
assigned membership in a brotherhood or
In primary school, they had to learn two
important things - the words of Homer, a
sisterhood, usually the same one to which
their father or mother belonged.
famous Greek epic poet, and how to play the
Spartan Boys: Spartan boys were sent to
lyre. Their teacher, who was always a man,
military school at age 6 or 7. They lived,
could choose what additional subjects he
trained and slept in the barracks of their
wanted to teach. He might choose to teach
brotherhood. They were taught survival skills
drama, public speaking, government, art,
and other skills necessary to be a great
reading, writing, math, and how to play
soldier. School courses were very hard and
another ancient Greek instrument - the flute.
often painful. Although students were taught
Following that, boys attended a higher school
to read and write, those skills were not very
for four more years. When they turned 18,
important
they entered military school for two additional
warfare mattered. The boys were not fed
years. At age 20, they graduated.
well, and were told that it was fine to steal
to
the
ancient
Spartans. Only
Girls were not educated at school, but
food as long as they did not get caught
many learned to read and write at home in
stealing. If they were caught, they were
the comfort of their courtyard.
beaten. The boys marched without shoes to
make them stronger. It was a brutal training
period. Somewhere between the age of 18-
SPARTA
In
ancient
Sparta,
the
purpose
of
education was to produce a well-drilled, welldisciplined marching army. Spartans believed
20, Spartan males had to pass a difficult test
of fitness, military ability, and leadership
skills. Any Spartan male who did not pass
these examinations became a perioikos.
(The perioikos, or the middle class, were
skills. Some historians believe the two schools
allowed
business
were very similar, and that an attempt was
dealings, but had no political rights and were
made to train the girls as thoroughly as they
not citizens.) If they passed, they became a
trained the boys. In any case, the Spartans
full citizen and a Spartan soldier. Spartan
believed that strong young women would
citizens were not allowed to touch money.
produce strong babies. At age 18, if a Sparta
That was the job of the middle class. Spartan
girl passed her skills and fitness test, she
soldiers spent most of their lives with their
would be assigned a husband and allowed to
fellow soldiers. They ate, slept, and continued
return home. If she failed, she would lose her
to train in their brotherhood barracks. Even if
rights as a citizen, and became a perioikos, a
they were married, they did not live with their
member of the middle class. In most of the
wives and families. They lived in the barracks.
other Greek city-states, women were required
Military service did not end until a Spartan
to stay inside their homes most of their lives.
male reached the age of 60. At age 60, a
They could not go anywhere or do anything
Spartan soldier could retire and live in their
without
home with their family.
could not even visit a woman who lived next
to
own
property,
have
their
husband's
permission.
They
Spartan Girls: In Sparta, girls also went
door. They had no freedom. But in Sparta,
to school at age 6 or 7. They lived, slept and
things were very different for women who
trained in their sisterhood's barracks. No one
were
knows if their school was as cruel or as
around,
rugged as the boys school, but the girls were
permission.
citizens.
and
They
visit
were
free
neighbors
taught wrestling, gymnastics, and combat
“Education in Ancient Greece.” Ancient Greece for Kids. Mr. Donn. 2 January 2011.
http://greece.mrdonn.org/education.html
to
move
without
The Women of Athens
Compared to the women of Sparta, the
counterparts. In domestic life, a boy was
status of an Athenian woman in Greek society
taught reading and writing, while a girl was
was minimal. Athenian women were only a
taught spinning and other domestic duties by
small step above slaves by the 5th century
the slaves her family had.
BC. From birth a girl was not expected to
Women played an important role in the
learn how to read or write, nor was she
120 festivals which took place in Athens every
expected to earn an education. On reading
year. Children in Athens were constantly
and writing, Menander wrote, "Teaching a
subject
woman to read and write? What a terrible
festivals. Young girls and women often played
thing to do!”
a part in these festivals. However the most
Most of what has been written about
to
numerous
religious
rites
and
important aspect of their life was marriage.
Athenian women comes from the 7th century
Marriages were arranged by the father
BC onward, when education in Athens began
and were accompanied by a great deal of
to emerge. Prior to that date the status of
fanfare. When the marriage was to take place
women was not so glum. In particular, the
the girl gave away all of her toys to the
rights of women in Athens and their decline
temple of Artemis, and her hair was cut. For
may have been the direct result of political
the next several months the bride was taught
pressures brought about by Pericle's ruling on
the domestic duties she would perform for the
the legitimacy of marriage. Similarly there is
rest of her life by her mother and by slaves. A
evidence to suggest that Athenian women
series of rites then followed. On the night
prior to the 7th century BC had been subject
before the wedding day, the bride and groom
to similar rites of passage as boys.
took
rituals
baths,
and
sang
hymns
to
Athenian women can be classified into
Hymen. The father made sacrifices to Hera,
three general classes. The lowest class was
Zeus, Artemis, Aphrodite, and Peitho. When
the slave women, who carried out more of the
the ceremony began there was a feast at the
menial domestic chores, and helped to raise
bride's father's home, and at the feast bread
the children of the wife. Male slaves held the
would be passed out by a child who would
task of working in the trade arts (pottery
say, "They have escaped evil; they have
making, glass working, wood working, etc) or
found the good." During and after the feast,
to educate the sons of a house. The second
numerous
class was that of the Athenian citizen woman.
blessings occurred culminating in the grand
The third class was known as the Hetaerae.
procession, from the father's house to the
The hetaerae unlike the slaves and the
groom's house. Once she arrived at the
citizens, were much akin to the Geisha's of
house, the bride held a sieve of barley (which
China.
represented her new role as "preparer of
Athenian citizen girls, since birth were
raised
differently
than
their
male
wedding
hymns,
libations,
and
food”). Then she entered and was taken to
the hearth where she was given offerings.
Wedding's were arranged through the
house and went to her father's brother. If the
father of the bride. The relationship between
father's brother was killed then the woman
both families which ensued was between the
became a virtual slave, with minimal rights.
father, groom, and the father's brother. The
Athenian women were subject to a life of
marital contract was between the groom and
subservience. They were not supposed to
the father, while the bride's dowry was given
leave the house save for the general locality
to the father's brother. If a wife was widowed
(although some country women were allowed
it was the duty of the father's brother to find
a bit more freedom), their domestic work was
her another husband. A woman could not own
minimal depending on the number of slaves
property,
she had. In general, her main purpose as a
and
was
practically
an
object
herself. If the husband died, she vacated the
wife was to produce healthy children.
Strachan, Dr. Richard. “The Women of Athens.” Ancient Greek Civilizations. Minnesota State
University, Mankato. 18 February 2010. 2 January 2011.
http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/aegean/culture/womenofathens.html
The Women of Sparta
Unlike the women of Athens, Spartan
men's clothing. If she was formerly a girl, she
women were taught reading and writing.
became a woman through marriage. Any
They were also expected to be able to protect
Spartan man could abduct a wife, which led
themselves. Where in Athens, the education
to a system of polyandry (many husbands,
of a girl involved spinning, weaving, and
one wife or vice versa) in Sparta. When a
other domestic arts, for a Spartan woman
child was born, the woman had little to do
such tasks were relegated to the helots or
with his or her upbringing, rather nurses
perioeci. A girl's education was equally as
handled the child's care (in addition, a female
brutal as the men's; many athletic events
Spartan child was subject to the same tests of
such as javelin, discus, foot races, and staged
strength as a male child.).
battles were also for both sexes. In many
Women's roles in Sparta were not limited
such events, Spartan women would run naked
to marriage and procreation. Spartan women
in the presence of their male counterparts
had many rights that other Greek women did
and were respected for their athletic feats.
not have. Namely, they could own and control
Though women in Sparta were not subject to
their own property.
the same training as given by Lycurgus,
another husband if their first had been away
Spartan women were expected and driven to
at war for too long. A woman was expected in
produce strong and healthy children, and to
times of war to overtake her husband's
be loyal to their state. Spartan girls were
property, and to guard it against invaders and
better fed their Athenian counterparts, and
revolts until her husband returned; hence
were taught writing.
many
Marriage for a Spartan woman was an
Spartan
They could also take
women
are
pictured
warriors.
almost non-ceremonial event. The woman
was abducted in the night by her suitor, her
head was shaved, and she was made to wear
Strachan, Dr. Richard. “The Women of Sparta.” Ancient Greek Civilizations. Minnesota State
University, Mankato. 18 February 2010. 2 January 2011.
http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/aegean/culture/womenofsparta.html
as