Sunday, September 25, 2016

Athens and Sparta

Athens and Sparta differed from each other in many ways, including their military, education 
system, and politics.

Military:
Athens was a sea-power.  It was known to have the best navy in all of Greece.  
Meanwhile, the Spartans were a land-power.  The city-state’s dedication to land warfare led to its
reputation as a powerful, brutal fighting force.
Athens used Triremes, large wooden ships that had a bronze tip that would puncture a 
hole in the enemy ship, that would cause that ship to sink.  This devastating ship was used at the 
Battle at Salamis (408 BCE) where the victorious Greek navy was led by the Athenian fleet 
against the large Persian fleet.  With their navy as their main fighting force, the use of the 
phalanx was not regularly used in Athens.  However in Sparta, the main battle strategy was the 
hoplite, a Greek foot soldier.  These hoplites would form a phalanx, which at the time was one of
the most devastating land battle strategies.  The phalanx was used by the Spartans at the Battle of
Thermopylae (408 BCE), according to Herodotus, to hold back the Persian army from attacking 
Athens.  Also, with Sparta land-locked, the use of triremes was not regularly used, and if needed,
they had to be imported from other city-states, such as Corinth.

Education:
Athens believed that the exercise of the body and mind was crucial in their society.  This 
was important because they believed that philosophy, physical fitness was necessary parts of 
their culture.  Sparta, on the other hand, believed only in physical fitness.  This was important 
because the city-state’s main goal was to produce high-quality soldiers to defend the city and 
keep helots from revolting.
In Athens, women were not given a formal education.  This was important because the 
men didn’t was the women to rationalize their way to gaining equality.  They would only be able 
to do this if they received a proper education.  In Sparta, women were given a certain amount of 
education.  They were taught about weaponry and self-defense.  This was important because 
when the men were off fighting, it was up to the women to stay and defend the city or keep the 
helots in line.

Politics:
Athens was a democracy, which means “rule by the people”.  The Athenians 
demonstrated their lust for democracy by creating the Assembly, where 300 citizens are chosen 
at random to have a say on a certain issue in Athens.  The Athenians also practiced ostracism, 
where citizens would cast ballots to exile a certain politician who the majority of the voters 
thought would rise up to become a tyrant.  These were important aspects of Athenian culture 
because it provided a way for the citizens to have a say in government.  Democracy was at its 
prime during the Athenian Golden Age (477 – 431 BCE).  However, Sparta was a military state, 
where a small group of high-ranking generals ruled Sparta.  This was important because it 
emphasized the point that the best soldiers would rule the city.  They also provided a model for 
young soldiers about how a Spartan should be.
For Athenian women, they were not given the right to vote.  This was because they were 
not considered citizens, and thus could not have a say in democracy by voting.  This was 
important because men believed that they were more superior to women, and women were too 
weak to contribute to politics.  However, in Sparta, women were allowed to vote.  Even though 
they were not citizens, women still had some political rights.  This was important because in 
recompense for producing children who became warriors, women were given respect and 
political rights.

No comments:

Post a Comment