Unit 2

Discussion Forum Question

Use your impressions of Athens and Sparta to discuss and compare daily life in the two city-
states.

People in Athens and Sparta were vastly different in leading the daily lives. Their daily activities
differences were polar opposite, since Athens followed free and open culture democracy while Sparta
worshiped harsh military dictatorship. The following essay will explore and compare the two greatest
Greek city-states in their citizens daily lives.

Athens had a first democracy in history. Its democracy was rule of the "demos" - people but only the
free, native-born, males. Political rights were determined by wealth. Ironically, the Athenian aristocrats
and rich elites did not favor the democracy, due to being outvoted by the common herd, their social and
economic inferiors.

So life was good if you were lucky to be an Athenian the richer the better, but bad if you were a slave
who were stripped of all rights and had to work hard labors. Because of the labor provided by large
numbers of slaves owned by private citizens and the Athenian state, even poor Athenian citizens had the
leisure time.

Democratic Athenss free and open culture attracted many economic and intellectual immigrants. They
worked as merchants, craftsmen and in other lucrative trades such as philosophers who served as
private tutors to the sons of wealthy Athenians. Life were pretty good for them, although they were
exposed to specialized tax and were second-rate in political rights.

On the opposite side there was Sparta. Sparta worshipped the military dictatorship. Sparta was a
warrior society, so the whole education of the Spartan was designed to make him an efficient soldier.
Life was simple and harsh through military training for males.

Shortly after birth the child would be decided whether it was to be reared to secure high physics-only
Spartans. Till their seventh year, boys were educated at home: the brutal Agoge training consisted in
physical exercises, such as dancing, gymnastics, ballgames, &c., with little care for music and literature.
Each males were given only a single cloak, a little food, and thus was encouraged to steal more food as a
way to practice stealthy. From the twentieth year, males had to join military service and one of the
dining messes or clubs. They could get married and bear babies now, yet they lived in the army barracks
until thirty, even in peace times. Thus bromance between men were very common and encouraged to
strengthen bonds between military comrades. At thirty began the full citizen rights and duties.

In conclusion, each citizens daily activities led to different fates: a path of a warrior in Sparta, or an
intellectual philosopher or merchants in Athens. It is noted that none were superior to other, but best
suited to their geography and political situations.

REFERENCES

Brand, P. J. (n.d.). Athens & Sparta: Democracy vs. Dictatorship. 18.

UKessays. (2015). Athenian democracy. Retrieved from

http://www.ukessays.co.uk/essays/english-language/a-nian-
democracy.php#ixzz3WpgAU455
Written Assignment

Compare and contrast monarchy, aristocracy, tyranny, oligarchy, and democracy as forms of
government in Ancient Greek city-states.

The 5 Forms of Government in Ancient Greek city-states

Introduction

Within the 1,500 ancient Greek cities, exits five main governments forms. They are monarchy,
aristocracy, tyranny, oligarchy, and democracy. This essay will briefly compare and contrast the
characteristics of these ancient governments.

Monarchy

Monarchy originally came from the Greek terms: monos and arkhein. The people are led by a king. The
kings power is absolute. He is empowered to remain in power for life. He takes power legally. His
sovereignty is hereditary passing down from generation to generation within the royal blood. An
example of one city-state whose employed monarchy was Corinth.

Tyranny

Tyranny is a form of government which is very similar to monarchy. Tyrannies usually grew out of
oligarchies rules of the few. A tyrant often seizes power unconstitutionally or inherited such power.
His road to power is usually paved by blood and violence. Tyrants is considered a cruel and oppressive
ruler, such as Orthagoras at Sicyon

Democracy

Democracy is the government where it is ruled by the Demos people, or the majority of people,
instead of following rules of the few. Political rights were determined by wealth. Democracy encouraged
open culture and intellectual activities. It was started by Kleisthenes in Athens. All free-native born, male
citizens can hold political rights to participate in the Assembly. Of the democracies, the oldest, the most
stable, the most long-lived, but also the most radical, was Athens. Athenian democracy gave power to a
much larger segment than the aristocratic systems of other Greek city states.

Oligarchy

Oligarchy is a rule by a few. Most Greek state-cities followed this government form. These "few" are
the rich and powerful, mostly came from the aristocrats and elites. They rules tyrannically with their
own interests at heart. The most well-known example is Sparta. Sparta worshipped the military
dictatorship. Interestingly, the aristocratic Athenians admired Spartas oligarchy and despised their own
democracy.

Conclusion

During the Archaic period, 750-500 BCE, the ancient Greek governments exits in five main forms. The
Greek city-states were uniquely self-governing entities. They donot bound together by centralization, as
in other ancient civilizations, thus allowing for various different governing formats. None were superior
to other and best suited to eachs own geography and political situations.

References

Sarah B. Pomeroy, Stanley M. Burstein, and others, Ancient Greece: A Political, Social, and Cultural
History (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999). p.89.

Brand, P. J. (n.d.). Athens & Sparta: Democracy vs. Dictatorship. 18.

UKessays. (2015). Athenian democracy. Retrieved from

http://www.ukessays.co.uk/essays/english-language/a-nian-democracy.php#ixzz3WpgAU455
Learning Journal

If you had the choice to live in Athens or Sparta, which one would you choose and why?

People in Athens and Sparta were vastly different in leading the lives. Their lives differences were polar
opposite, since Athens followed free and open culture democracy while Sparta worshiped harsh military
dictatorship. Different fates await each: a path of a warrior in Sparta, or an intellectual philosopher or
merchants in Athens. It is noted that none were superior to other, but best suited to their geography
and political situations.

Based on their personalities, one can explore each and decide where to live.

Warning! Both these two city-states were the class-based society. Both gave all political rights to the
minority - free and native-born males, and none to the majority - women, slaves, or foreigners. Both
societies were dominated by an aristocratic class superior to commoners. Differences in class and
wealth were strong. So make sure you were born as a free, native, male, and preferably rich.

If you like: brutal, simple, virtue, lots of physical training then choose Sparta. Sparta was a warrior
society, so the whole education of the Spartan was designed to make him an efficient soldier. Life was
simple and harsh through military training for males.

Shortly after birth, you would be decided to live or die based on your physical abilities. So you were
alive? Till their seventh year, you would be educated at home. Then they took you away from your
mother to the military training camp with other boys. The brutal Agoge training consisted in physical
exercises, such as dancing, gymnastics, ballgames, &c., with little care for music and literature. Punch
yourself if you were into art or intellectual activities.

You would be given only a single cloak, a little food, and thus was encouraged to steal more food as a
way to practice stealthy (but they would beat the shit out of you if you got caught). Expect barefoot and
cold sleep outside. The training would make you tougher than most males-pussies in other Greek states.

From the twentieth year, you had to join military service and one of the dining messes or clubs. Time for
you to get married and bear lots of babies now, only to shortly enjoy the pleasure, since you would still
have to live in the army barracks until thirty, even in peace times. Donot worry of the lack of sex! You
would be encouraged to fuck your bros in the military, as a way to strengthen bonds between military
comrades.

At thirty began the full citizen rights and duties. If you were lucky enough to not die in battle, then this
would be the time to fully enjoy lives. Hope you were rich enough to secure a good position in the 5
Ephors or the 30 Gerousia.

Congratulation if you can make it to the end as a Spartan. You have lived a hard and proud lives!

If you like: open-culture, intellectual activities, merchant trading, democracy then try Athens. Athens
had a first democracy in history. Its democracy was rule of the "demos" - people but only the free,
native-born, males. Political rights were determined by wealth. However, if you were born rich and
aristocrats, be prepared to being outvoted by the common herds.

Life would be pretty good if you were an Athenian, since the slaves did all the hard works, so you could
leisurely gossip about the latest news in the assembly. You could own slaves privately too! It was just
like having a butler at your house.

Regarding career, you would be most pleased to find that there were plenty besides the boring and
dangerous warrior path in Spartan. Democratic Athenss free and open culture attracted many economic
and intellectual immigrants. They worked as merchants, craftsmen and even philosophers who served as
private tutors to the sons of wealthy Athenians. You would be free to pursuit whichever lives you wish
here.

So pat yourself on the back, breathe and live a rich life in Athens here, full of culture and richness.

For me, as an intellectual, office-type professional, I would have avoided the warrior way in Spartan and
chose to become a philosopher in Athens instead. But I would have proposed one interesting idea: to
organize a workshop retreat camp for Athens to learn the real men style in Spartan. That way, I would
be able to earn a huge profit, provided that the Spartan instructors did not get this is Spartan style and
kicked everyone into a big hole.

REFERENCES

Brand, P. J. (n.d.). Athens & Sparta: Democracy vs. Dictatorship. 18.

UKessays. (2015). Athenian democracy. Retrieved from

http://www.ukessays.co.uk/essays/english-language/a-nian-
democracy.php#ixzz3WpgAU455