SPARTA MILITARY SOCIETY Life revolved around army, no need for city walls…army will defend All men...

SPARTA

MILITARY SOCIETY

• Life revolved around army, no need for city walls…army will defend

• All men aspired to become soldiers

• Newborn infants were examined– Healthy: could live– Sickly: left to die on a hillside

SPARTAN MEN

• Age 7: taken to military barracks to start training in reading, writing, weapons

• Age 20: became soldiers & sent to frontier

• Age 30: marry & reproduce, but still stay in army

• Age 60: retire from army

SPARTAN MEN

• Life in barracks is harsh

• Beaten by older children to make you tough

• Whipped in front of others but could not cry

• Given little food & encouraged to steal

• Wore rags & no shoes all year

• In time, taught to lie, steal, cheat

SPARTAN WOMEN• Life’s ambition is to be a soldier’s mother

• Brought up to be healthy

• Trained in wrestling, boxing, gymnastics

• Married at 19 so babies would be healthy

• More personal freedoms than Athenians, but not serve in gov’t

SPARTAN GOVT.

• There were kings, but their duties were limited to leading the army & conducting religious services

• The Assembly (male citizens over 30) passed laws, made decisions

• A Council of the Elders (male citizens over 60) served as supreme court;

CULTURE

• The strict control over people led to a lack of economic development

• Discouraged trade & shunned philosophy, science & the arts

• They were exceptional athletes, competed well in the Olympics, & defended Greece against invaders

Athens

http://www.debevec.org/Parthenon/Images/

Government• Unlike Sparta they developed a

constitution that stated all free, Athenian-born men were citizens…regardless of what social class - Now they could participate in Assembly regardless of land ownership

• - This reduced friction in Athens

Children in Athens• Boys given an education, as they were expected

to hold office as a citizen 1 day• Girls received no formal education, just

household training from mother• Private tutors or schools• From 7-18 boys learned:

– Arithmetic --Geometry– Drawing, music, gymnastics– Main texts were Iliad & Odyssey

• Wealthy girls would marry their father’s choice at 15

• Peasant girls would choose a husband from the field

• Boys would train for future jobs after school

• They entered the military after graduation & then went onto careers such as businessmen or Olympic athletes

Children in Athens

Women in Athens• Wore clothes to depict their status in society

• Most important job for all women is having children

• Wealthy women would manage house & slaves• Peasant women would manage house & work in

field• Women not allowed to eat/sleep in same room

as men, go to market• Women were not allowed to view the olympics.

Men in Athens• Like their wives, wore clothes equal to

their status

• In charge of family & house

• Given great respect at home

• Would work as businessmen or farmers during the day

• Given the most responsibility in Greece, so they were the most important people

Building Democracy• 621 BC democracy develops in Athens

• Develop legal code based on equality of citizens

• Abolish debt slavery & have citizens make laws

- Only native born property owning males are citizens