SPARTA AND ATHENS

ATHENS

5th century BC was the most brilliant period in Athens Athens was the richest and most powerful polis It developed very good trade links in the Mediterranean

LIFE OF A SPARTAN SOLDIER

Ages 7-12 : Values Training Boys left home and got a basic education. Ages 12-18 : Physical Training Boys built physical skills through exercise. Ages 18-20 : Military Training Men learned how to fight as a part of an army. Ages 20-30 : Military Service Soldiers formed the body of the Spartan Army Age 30 : Full citizenship Soldiers could participate in the assembly and move back home.

SPARTA AND ATHENS AT WAR

Athens had a democratic government, but it began to treat other city-states unfairly, especially those in the Delian League. Those city-states were making tribute payments to Athens for protection from the Persians. Athens moved the treasury from Delos to Athens and used the money to build the Parthenon and other projects.

FALL OF ATHENS

Athens never recovered from its losses during the plague. To make matters worse, Sparta allied itself with the Persians to use its mighty Navy. In 405 BC, the Spartans and Persians staged a blockade - action taken to isolate the enemy and cut off its supplies. The Spartans surrounded the harbor where Athens received supplies. Starving and beaten, Athens surrendered in 404 BC. The Spartans knocked down the city walls and decimated Athens. Athens never again dominated the Greek world.

ATHENS AND ATHENIANS

Athens was Sparta's main rival. In addition to physical training, the Athenians valued education, clear thinking, and the arts.

DEMOCRACY IN ATHENS

Athens was a democracy because all citizens could vote, but only a small group of people in Athens were citizens. Only males born in the city, over 18 could vote The people met in assemblies at the Agora. If there were 6000 citizens there they could vote for laws. Women, foreigners (people born outside of Athens), and slaves could not vote.

CONT.

Boys trained by running, jumping, swimming, and throwing javelins. They weren't given shoes and weren't given warm clothing during the winter.

EXTRA

Direct participation was the key to Athenian democracy. In the Assembly, every male citizen was not only entitled to attend as often as he pleased but also had the right to debate, offer amendments, and vote on proposals. Every man had a say in whether to declare war or stay in peace. Basically any thing that required a government decision, all male citizens were allowed to participate in.

BOYS AND MEN IN ATHENS

From a young age, boys from rich families improved both body and mind. They trained but only had to devote two years to the army, not all their lives.

GIRLS AND WOMEN IN ATHENS

Girls received almost no education. Some learned to read and write from private tutors, but most learned household tasks. Women in Athens had almost no rights at all.

CONT.

Rich boys in Athens hired tutors and studied philosophy, geometry, and astronomy. They also learned to speak in public, which helped them later to participate in government.

SPARTA

Sparta was very focused on obedience and war and the people did not have any luxuries. Education was not important, but being physically strong was important for girls & boys Boys HAD to join the Spartan army. babies were examined for health if they weren't healthy they were left in the hills to die Boys: at the age of 7 were sent away for military training constant exercise & discipline whippings for punishment soldiers could marry at the age of 20, & had to live in the barracks until the age of 30 Girls: could not be in the military but were expected to learn sports and stay strong so that one day they could produce healthy babies to add to the army! Women in Sparta were resented by other Greek women because they were allowed to do more things like own land or make decisions while husbands were at war.

SPARTAN GOVERNMENT

Spartan government was set up to control the city's helots (HEL-uts), or slaves. Helots lived horrible lives and worked very hard. Helots outnumbered Spartans, but fear of the army kept them from rebelling.

SPARTANS AND THE MILITARY

Spartan society was dominated by the military. The Spartans believed that military power provided security and protection.

CONT 2.

Spartan soldiers lived together in barracks and barely visited family from 20-30. They stayed in the army until age 60. They believed that having luxuries made them weak.

PELOPONNESIAN WAR

The Greeks began to resent Athenian power. They looked to Sparta to help protect them. Sparta formed the Peloponnesian League with city-states in southern Greece. In 431 BC, Sparta and its allies fought against Athens and its allies. This was called the Peloponnesian War - conflict between Sparta and Athens that lasted for 27 years.

CONT.

The citizens of Athens wanted to rule themselves and not have a king or queen. Athens became the world's first democracy around 508 B.C. A democracy is a government in which all citizens can vote and have equal say in what happens.

CONT.

When Sparta attacked Athens, Pericles (leader of Athens) allowed people to move inside the city walls. The overcrowded conditions led to a plague - widespread disease. When the plague ended 5 years later, almost 1/3rd of the Athenians had died, including Pericles.

BOYS AND MEN IN SPARTA

When a boy was born, the government took him away. Healthy boys were trained to be soldiers.

GIRLS AND WOMEN IN SPARTA

Women had more power in Sparta. They owned land and ran households while men were at war. Women didn't do jobs that other Greek women did, like weave clothing, but left them for slaves.

CONFLICT AND THE ATHENIAN EMPIRE

More battles between Greece and Persia followed. With each win, the Greeks assumed they had pleased the gods. Athens emerged from the Persian wars the most powerful city-state in Greece. They formed the Delian League where other city-states bowed to them. This time in Athens was the Golden Age mentioned in Chapter 6.