Athens / Sparta
Government /
  1. Democracy – citizens run the government
  2. All citizens belonged to the Assembly and talked about passes laws – 6,000 citizens debated, made decisions, and approved laws
  3. A smaller group of citizens, called the Council of 500, were chosen by lottery to carry out the laws.
  4. Debating, freedom of speech, serving on juries in court trials were encouraged and expected
/
  1. Officially ruled by two kings who jointly led the army.
  2. Oligarchy – small group rule
  3. Elected officials actually had more power than the kings, who ran day-to-day activities
  4. Council of Elders are chosen by vote
  5. An Assembly of men over 30 years of age, did not debate and could have decision overruled
  6. At age 30 citizenship was granted: right to hold office, attend meetings, and get married

Economy /
  1. Based on trade
  2. Traded oil, honey, silver, pottery, etc.
  3. Made and used its own coins
/
  1. Based on farming by slaves and conquest over other people
  2. Discouraged trade and even new ideas with other city-states
  3. Used heavy iron bars for money before converting to coins

Social Hierarchy /
  1. Upper Class – adult male citizens whose parents were born in Athens and owned land
  2. Middle Class – merchants from other city-states who could become wealthy by never citizens
  3. Slaves, captured in battle, abandoned girls, people in debt
/
  1. Upper Class - Male citizens born in Sparta
  2. Foreign-born merchants
  3. Slaves called helots, who were prisoners defeated by Spartans in war

Education /
  1. Purpose – to make a good citizen
  2. Only boys, if able to attend
  3. Rich can afford longer and more in-depth education, including public speaking
  4. Athletics and traditional subjects
/
  1. Purpose – to make a good warrior
  2. Both boys and girls
  3. Basic education with emphasis on Military training

Military /
  1. All men joined the army, but only for 2-years
  2. Ages 18-20: defend the city
  3. Older men only served in the army in times of war
/ 1.Ages 7-12: Leave home and got basic education
2.Ages 12-18: physical training with exercise
3.Ages 18-20: military training
4.Ages 20-30: Military service
5.Age 30-60: Full citizenship, soldiers could participate in the assembly and move back home
Women / Could not:
  1. Serve in any part of the city’s governments, including the assembly and juries
  2. Leave their homes, except on special occasions
  3. Buy anything or own property
  4. Disobey their husbands or father
/ Because Spartan men were often away; women had more rights, they could:
  1. Owned land & businesses
  2. Ran the household
  3. Received an education
  4. Physical training was encouraged to keep women fit to help bear healthy children

Boys /
  1. Boys from rich families were taught how to read, speak and to think properly
  2. Poor boys may learn a basic education, but focused on farming or learned a craft or skill
  3. Athenians believed a person should keep physically fit, learn about the past and present, and serve humanity by taking part in the government.
/
  1. Birth – a government official deems him healthy, otherwise he is taken outside the city to die
  2. 7 Years – taken from home to receive training
  3. Hardships – no shoes, heavy clothes, even in winter; little food. Encouraged to steal needed items, but whipped if caught. If a boy was not strong enough, he was left to die.
  4. The highest honor was to die fighting forSparta.

Girls /
  1. Fathers had the right to abandon the baby
  2. Could receive a basic education at home, but not normal
  3. Taught to raise children and run the home
/
  1. Fathers had the right to abandon the baby
  2. Received an education on basics and physical fitness
  3. Taught to raise children and run the home

Slaves /
  1. Slaves were captured in war, etc.
  2. Completed a variety of jobs: teachers, craftsmen, famers, etc.
  3. Treated according to their master
/
  1. Slaves (Helots) were captured in war
  2. Forced to farm land and work for the Spartans
  3. Treated harshly; 5,000 Helots are killed yearly to “help prevent a revolt”

  1. Persian Wars
  2. The Persian Empire tried to conquer the Greek City-States. Led by Athens and Sparta, the Greeks resisted. Conflict between the Greeks and Persians lasted on and off for many years.
  3. The Greeks defeated the Persians; keeping Greek culture alive.
  1. Peloponnesian War
  2. Causes of the War
  3. After the Persian Wars ended in 480 BC, many city-states formed alliances, or a partnership to work together.
  4. Both Athens and Sparta formed partnerships with other city-states, not with each other
  5. Sparta declared war on Athens in 430 BC, because of Athens rise of power in Greece
  6. Important Facts/Events During the War
  7. Both Athens and Sparta had allies to help fight = most of Greece faced warfare
  8. Sparta had the strongest army
  9. Athens had the best navy and the most money
  10. After 27 years of war, in 404 BC, Athens’ navy was captured and the city was starved into surrendering. The war was over, and Sparta won and was in control of Greece
  11. Effects of the War
  12. Thousands of Greeks were killed & wounded; widespread destruction of property/land
  13. For about 30 years, the Spartans controlled nearly all of Greece. Resentment led to another period of war, which weakened Greece and left it open to attack from the outside.
  14. In 338 BC, Macedonia, a country to the north, conquered the Greek city-states. Led first by King Phillip II and then by his son Alexander the Great.
  15. Despite being conquered, Greek civilization and ideas were preserved by Alexander the Great. He conquered a huge empire, establishing Greek Civilization in all the conquered areas: Greece, Egypt, Mesopotamia and all the way to India.