Athens - Greece

Athens - Greece

During the fifth century of Ancient Greece the city-states of Athens and Sparta represented two very different forms of living. Spartans directed their time towards their military capabilities while the Athenians were interested in comfort and culture. Sparta's and Athens' political and environmental differences along with their different views on women caused the two city-states to be very dissimilar.

Two major forms of government existed during Ancient Greece: oligarchy and democracy. The government in Sparta was controlled by an oligarchy in which the power was held by a group of five men called ephors. Working below the ephors was the Council of Elders and an Assembly. Male citizens over age sixty could serve on the Council while anyone, male or female, over the age of twenty could be a member of the Assembly.1 Though the citizens had little say in the decisions made by the government, the system worked effectively. It was the oligarchy in Sparta that put a war-like attitude as its first priority in the city-state. Every man in the army fought with a great deal of passion for his country. The beliefs of Sparta were oriented around the state. The individual lived and died for the state. The government in Athens followed a very different course than that of Sparta. Upper class male citizens over the age of thirty were the only Athenians who held any right to vote. The democracy in Athens consisted of an executive, legislative, and judicial branch. All branches of the government were capable of vetoing one another. It was also customary to expel from the country any speaker who became too powerful. However, as stated in the Athenian Constitution, male citizens were equal and the government's focus was on the individual rather than the state as a whole.2

Another difference between the two great city-states was their environment and how it affected the trade in the two cities. The Athenian economy depended on foreign trade and travel.3 Because of Athens' location on the Aegean Sea, sailing increased trade. While trade was a necessity in Athens, it wasn't in Sparta. Since Sparta was cut off from the rest of Greece by two mountain ranges there was little trade being done. The Spartans rarely traveled from their city-state or allowed foreigners into it. This kept out foreign ideas and allowed an element of surprise when it came to attacks.4

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