...Women in Athens and Sparta When it comes to comparing women from different nationalities, you will no doubt find obvious differences that set them apart. Personally I think that Athens and Sparta women are the best nationalities when it comes to the best contrasting. They seem so similar but when you look into their lives deeper, you realize they couldn’t be more contrary. The lifestyle of the Athenian and Spartan wife where similar but different. Both of them had to bare and have children. Both women’s place was in the household (but outside as well for the Spartan), but not exactly alike. Athenian women where known for being more obedient and passive. They had to stay home, taking care of children and educating them, they had to prepare every meal, spinning and weaving the wool, making sure the home was always tidy, and takes care of servants when they were ill. Spartan women, where not like this very much. However...
Words: 574 - Pages: 3
...Athens and Sparta In times, long before Jesus, when thousands of people were dying for there lands and where women and men had very different roles were two unique cities, Athens and Sparta, with very different politics, beliefs and day to day life. These ancient times were very popular for their wars and heroes as likely for their politics and beliefs, which were very untraditional at that time. 100 years of one of the biggest rivalry in history of human kind Athens and Sparta put their names on the map of the modern world with lessons we can learn and bravery and courage to be admired. Athens and Sparta were always compared with their distinctions. They both had very different ideas how women should be threated in the society, also the politics and beliefs in these two cities were very diverse as the final outcome of their history and their decision-making in important life or death situations. Athens is of the oldest cities in the world, which has been populated for the last 7000 years, which Sparta cannot compare to that, because Sparta became city around 3000 years ago. Athens and Sparta are both know for their government and religion, but one of the biggest conflicts, even in recent history, was women rights and their position in society. Athens, as most of the ancient cites and states, took away women rights even before they were born. They were at the bottom of the society. The purpose of women in ancient Athens was to live and be controlled by men. Women in ancient...
Words: 794 - Pages: 4
...SPARTAN WOMEN The Spartans were renowned throughout the ancient world for their strict military discipline, particularly the powerful men that were bred and trained in their systems. However, it was not only the men who were physically fit and dominant – the females in Spartan society also held their own, and were trained just as hard as the men. Spartan girls were not brought up to perform such tasks as spinning and weaving – these tasks were fit only for slaves – but partook in a certain amount of physical training with the boys (although they were excluded from military training), took part in various singing and dancing competitions, played instruments and recited poetry.[1] Spartan women were very unique in the ancient world, particularly in the areas of education and training, their roles and positions in Spartan society and their place in public life. EDUCATION AND TRAINING The women of Sparta were highly valued and respected, particularly for their roles as mothers and nurses. Spartan women also had a reputation for fitness, physical beauty and a strong, independent character. The purpose of a girl’s education in Sparta was to produce healthy bodies, so that, according to Lycurgus, ‘the fruit they conceived might take firmer root and find better growth, so that they, with this greater vigour, might be more able to undergo with the pains of childbearing’.[2] According to Plutarch, the girls were organised into bands, similar to the boys groups. He also...
Words: 1203 - Pages: 5
...260). The Greek cities, Athens and Sparta both treated women exceedingly different. Most of the other city-states were more similar to Athens. There was about 2-3 that were like Sparta, but, these other city-states had a bigger population than Sparta (Fleck & Hanssen 2007). They may have done this because of where they live, but not only that they had different views on subjects and opinions on how to run their region. Athens was located near the Aegean Sea, which led them to greatly appreciate the opportunity to travel. They could now learn and educate others about art, literature, and architect which they were grateful for since they were very important things to them. In addition to trading ideas, Athens also got very influential with many other city-states by trading goods with them that created strong and positive relations with them....
Words: 1319 - Pages: 6
...While Sparta and Athens had many similarities and differences, Sparta is better than Athens in military strategy, education and women's rights. Sparta had a much better military compared to Athens, and had the best military in the entirety of the Ancient Greek city-states. Sparta also gave more rights to women than any other Greek city-state. This was because men were never present at home, and therefore women had much more power than in Athens and other Greek city-states. Women were also allowed to participate in sports, and were treated as equal to men. Spartan women were educated and literate. Spartans believed that for a baby to be strong and healthy, the mother must be as well. In Athens, however, women were kept at home and had no rights. Education in Sparta was heavily centered around fitness and training, and began in youth. Education in Sparta began around 7 years old with boys being sent to army barracks to be taught military tactics and strategy. They were not given shoes or other clothes and instead were given only a cloak, and were given little food, requiring them to either steal or learn to survive. Women also at age 7 were literate, and had athletic ability and survival skills, similar to men. They were...
Words: 930 - Pages: 4
...I think that Sparta was more superior than Athens for many reasons. Sparta had a much greater military, they would even train every day. Spartans also had a geographic advantage to Athens because they had there mountains surrounding them on each side so it was much harder for them to be invaded. I also think that they had a better form of government compared to Athens and gave better rights to Women and children. Athens does have some things that are more superior than Sparta, like there education, but I think that Sparta has much more to offer. In my opinion I think that Sparta had a much better military than Athens did . I think this because Sparta was basically known for its military and warfare and how good they were at it. Spartan...
Words: 556 - Pages: 3
...The best ancient Greek city-state to live in would’ve been Sparta for many reasons. The first reason is that everyone in Sparta had rights. For example, women in Sparta had more rights than most Greek women, such as being able to own property. Even slaves had many rights of their own. According to the Athens vs Sparta History Alive Reading, “Spartan women had many rights Greek women did not have. . . They could own and control their own property.” Also stated in the Athens vs Sparta History Alive Reading about the slaves, “They could marry whomever they wanted, they could pass their names onto their children. They could sell extra crops. . . They could even buy their freedom.” Because everyone had rights, the Spartans in their own way, were...
Words: 377 - Pages: 2
...Athens and Sparta existed from 2000 B.C. to 404 B.C. Sparta came around when the helots were conquered in a village that was named Sparta which became their capital. Athens were sea traders and were big on trade, which might have been a reason why their city-state came about. Sparta was located in a village down in a valley. They were a rigid and highly militarized society. Their location may have helped explain why Sparta developed different from Athens. Athens was an attic peninsula that was built inland. Their city-state was built around the rocky hill of Acropolis. Sparta was ruled by two kinds. One king led the army, while the other took care of the matters at home. The Council of Elders were made up of 28 male citizens over 60. They were usually wealthy and high in power. They proposed laws and served as a criminal court. An assembly consisted of all male citizens over 30 voted on those laws proposed by the Council of Elders to accept or reject them. The helots in Sparta hated the Spartans and what they did, because they had no say and were treated as a low class. Athens was a democracy ruled by Cleisthenes. What he first did was divide Athen’s citizens into 10 tribes. Then each tribe chose 50 men. And those men formed what we call the Council of Five Hundred. The members served for one year and couldn’t be chosen more than twice. They proposed laws to the assembly, but the assembly had the final word. The court became more democratic also. Jurors were citizens chosen by...
Words: 1303 - Pages: 6
...the roles of all citizens. All men, women, and children had roles in Greek culture, roles given to certain individuals varied by city-state. One group of individuals to concentrate on is women. The role and rights of women have been debated for centuries. Two city-states in Greek society, Athens and Sparta, offer a glimpse into two ancient cultures in which the role of women was vastly different. Athens and Sparta were two city-states in Ancient Greece. A city-state...
Words: 1041 - Pages: 5
...essays on Greek civilization Introduction This booklet is a collection of essays that were written for academic purpose. The essays are centred on Greece. Particular emphasis is placed on the states of Athens and Sparta. The aim of the essays is to show the contributions that Greek states made to the modern world. The world has learnt a lot of aspects from Greece, being they direct or indirect. One of the things that Greece brought to the world is the democratic system of government. Together with lessons from ancient Rome the world has learned much. Essay1: Differences in terrain and climatic conditions between Athens and Sparta Greece has many cities and towns, however probably the main ones in ancient times were Sparta and Athens. These two cities shaped the political life and history of Greece for quite a long time. The influence mainly centred on land and agriculture. For, about 90% of Greece production was agricultural in nature, with grain production as the dominant area. Incidentally, grain was a staple product and food of Greece. As a result the land that was used for grain production was a vital part of wealth and a valuable asset, for which citizens compete for. This essay is going to explore the difference in terrain between Athens and Sparta and how it affected agriculture and political rights, including democracy as well as how agricultural production had an impact on the distribution of political rights and the powers invested in various category of the...
Words: 3017 - Pages: 13
...World Civilization 101 Jeremy Haskett 5/3/15 Sparta was a warrior society in ancient Greece. The empire peaked after defeating Athens, in the Peloponnesian War. Culture in Sparta focused on loyalty to the state and military service. Sparta had three main groups: the Spartans, the Helots and the Perioeci. Spartans were full citizens of Sparta, while the Helots were slaves. The Perioeci, however, were neither. The Perioeci, worked as craftsmen and traders. They crafted the Spartan weapons. Healthy male citizens went into a state-sponsored education system, known as the Agoge. The school system emphasized obedience, endurance, courage and self-control. The Helots, were fellow Greeks, who the Spartans had conquered. The Spartans’ way of life would not have been possible without the Helots. They performed all the day-to-day tasks, and any unskilled labor that was required. This kept society functioning. They were farmers, domestic servants, nurses and military attendants. There were a significantly more Helots than Spartans. Helots were often mistreated and brutalized and oppressed. This was to prevent an uprising. Spartans humiliated the Helots several ways, such as forcing them to get extremely drunk and making them do foolish things in public. Spartans were even allowed to kill Helots if they were too smart or fit. (Sparta. 2015). In Spartan society the children of Sparta were children of the state more than that of their parents. They were raised to be soldiers, and were...
Words: 1198 - Pages: 5
...far different then its rival Spartans society. The greatest difference would be the up brining, as far from birth until adult hood. The Athenian’s believed in education, philosophy, art, science and of course military training, but of course during this time period men and women were educated very differently. The Athenian men were far more highly educated, while the women not as much. Women were made more objective for men. “An Athenian boy would be taught at home either by slaves or their mothers until the age of 6 or 7. Then the boys would go to school and learn reading, writing, literature, and arithmetic until they turned 14. During this time the boys also learned wrestling and gymnastics to make sure the boys were strong along with learning how to play the lyre and sing […] Girls on the other hand had a very different training. Their mothers would teach the girls to clean, cook, weave cloth and to spin thread. A few girls also learned ancient secret songs and dances for religious festivals. Around the age of 15 girls married a man much older than the woman”. ("Sparta and Athens" 2010) 2 The men and women played different roles, most things men did women could not do, for example be out doors. “Women, on the other hand, should stay inside, teaching female slaves necessary skills, managing the goods brought into the household,...
Words: 1015 - Pages: 5
...Christian Salerno The Archeology of Cities Dr. M 2/18/16 Sparta Sparta was a militaristic society, who reached the height of its power after defeating its rival state of Athens in the Peloponnesian War (431-404 B.C.). Spartans were trained at the age of 7 through a state sponsored education, military and socialization training. They trained in discipline and endurance in what is called an Agoge. Spartan women were not part of the military but were still educated and well more involved than other Greek women. All manual labor was performed by slaves call Helots. The military prowess of the Spartans was short lived though, due to the fact that they were defeated by Thebes at the Battle of Leuctra in 371, which lead to a long period of decline. Spartan Society Spartan society focused mainly on three main groups: Spartans, Spartiates, and the Helots. Spartans were the tip of the spear when it comes to the military might of the Spartans. The Spartiates were the full-fledged citizens of Sparta, and finally the Helots who consisted of the slaves who were the craftsman and laborers that created the weapons and armor for the Spartans. The Spartan Military Unlike the other Greek city states Sparta focused on military might instead of arts, learning, and philosophy. All male Spartan citizens were forced to join the military at the age of 7 were they received their military and socialization training at the Agoge. Training was rigorous and came with continual abuse, competitions...
Words: 503 - Pages: 3
...Athens and Sparta Essay Athens and Sparta are among the most spoken about city-states (city-state is an entity whose territory consists of a city. This is not administered as a part of another local government that is independent in Ancient Greece). These two city-states were related in many ways but also have many differences. Athens was a very pleasant city-state. Unlike many city-states, it had a democratic government. A democratic government is a government that lets the people rule or (self-rule), (self- governing). Democracy kept the Athens citizens pleased and allowed them the freedom to make their city-state improve their lifestyle. Athens was also famed for its high arts and sciences. This made them capable of knowledge beyond the city-states brim. Athens traded its goods in Agoras (Agoras was a central spot in ancient Greece. The literal meaning of the word is "Gathering Place" or "Assembly”.) Eventually, trading and Persia’s defeat in a long battle (500 B.C-449 B.C.) contributed to a Golden Age for Athens. Men devoted their time as part of the assembly which helped discuss the government and politics. Women in Ancient Greece were not as free as the men; they couldn’t vote or have an occupation. In Athens women stayed home to cook, make clothing and keep their daughters home. But life was much different in Sparta. Life in Sparta was very harsh and cruel, it was a fighting nation. Men in Sparta trained for war the greatest part of their time. Military...
Words: 557 - Pages: 3
...Sparta The Spartan country was ruled by two kings, the kings would lead the army in times of war. Even with the kings, they had five magistrates that were elected from high up families.Then they also had a council made up to create all of Sparta’s laws. This council was made up of the two kings and twenty-eight elders. The elders, all being of the age sixty or older, took the laws to an assembly made up of citizens for a vote. Although, when voting they to don’t discuss the law, nor do they alter what they had. They stated the law, and voted straight after. The only way to be qualified as a citizen of Sparta was to be a descendant of the original Doric invaders who settled and created the city. This required the number of Spartan citizens to usually not exceed more then six or seven thousand people at any time. The non-citizens outnumbered the citizens, but they were kept in check by the strong Spartan military force. Sparta produced what most say to be the most iconic military in ancient history. They are known for their bravery, professionalism, and skill: a reputation well deserved. They proved themselves, many times, that they were the best of the Greek hoplite warriors. Spartan political power didn’t peek until the 6th to 4th century BC. However Spartan military power had its roots in the system much earlier. Unlike Athens, Sparta’s economy depended on conquering other people and farming, as the land Sparta sat on was not enough to feed all of it’s people. Considering...
Words: 989 - Pages: 4
