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Why Is Athens Better Than Sparta

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I believe that Athens is a much better, well rounded city-state than Sparta. There are many aspects of Athenian society that are superior to that of Sparta's. Athens government was a direct democracy, meaning that the people are the ones making the decisions. All citizens are welcome at the Athens assembly and were all welcomed to speak their voice and share ideas. Sparta's government is an oligarchy. There are 2 kings and various assemblies of very wealthy "elected officials" who are Spartiates, or the highest class in the Spartan society. Athens government is clearly better in this aspect as the people are the ones making choices for their society, rather than being controlled by kings and high-ups.

Another main reason why Athens is superior to Sparta is in their education system. In Athens, boys studied music, math, arts, grammar and poetry. Also, they received a mandatory 2 years of military service from ages 18-20. In Sparta, boys live in military barracks from ages 7-60, with no education other than athletics and combat. Athenians believe that boys should …show more content…
They also ate a bland porridge. Common Athenian foods include fish, fruit, vegetables, olives, wine, cheese, and bread. Athenians ate for taste and enjoyment, while Spartans ate to survive. Lastly, the concept of individualism was very different in Athens and Sparta. In Athens, people were encouraged to be individuals and have their own ideas. An Athenian motto is to "know thyself'", meaning that Athens encouraged its citizens to be different from one another. In Sparta, however, individualism was discouraged, and everyone was expected to act the same. In conclusion, Athens is better than Sparta in many significant ways. Sparta was war-obsessed and their whole life was focused on training. Meanwhile, Athens was very well-rounded, and were successfully at sports, war, and overall

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