THE CITYSTATE: SPARTA

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THE CITY-STATE SPARTA

• Matthew Lewis
• ED 639
• October 22, 2002

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Unit Chapter 10 The City-State

• Grade Level 7
• Lesson The Polis and Sparta

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Lesson Objectives

• Identify Sparta, Athens, Peloponnesus, Assembly,
  Council of Elders
• Define Polis, Acropolis, Agora, Aristocrats,
  Helots, Perioeci
• What rights and duties did Greek citizens have?
• How was the lifestyle of Spartan women different
  from that of other Greek women?

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Lesson Objectives Cont

• How was Sparta different from other Greek
  city-states?
• Which of the requirements for citizenship in
  early Greece do you think were fair and which
  were not? Explain.
• What parts of Spartan life would you have enjoyed
  and what would you have wanted to change? Explain.

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Materials

• Computer with projector
• Textbook
• Paper and writing utensil

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Websites

• http//www.wsu.edu8080/dee/GREECE/SPARTA.HTM
• Spartan Women
• Vocabulary
• Ancient Map of Greece
• Citizens of Sparta

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Student Activities

• Students will do map activity on page 165 for
  homework.

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PRESENTATION
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The Polis

• A city-state, that was the geographic political
  center of life
• Acropolis fortified hill in center of Polis
• Agora at foot of hill, used for marketplace
• By 700 B.C. city-state formed

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The Polis cont

• Each city-state had its own govt and laws.
• The average size was from 5,000-10,000 citizens
• Only citizens could vote, own property, hold
  public office, and speak for themselves in court.
• In return they were expected to participate in
  the govt and defend the polis in time of war.
• Workers born outside of Greece, women, children,
  and slaves were not citizens.

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The Polis cont

• For Greek citizens civic and personal honor were
  one and the same.
• The polis gave them a sense of belonging.
• The good of the polis was put above everything
  else.
• Two of the greatest city-states were Sparta and
  Athens.
• Each developed with a different kind of
  government and a different way of life.

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Sparta

• Sparta was located in south-central Greece, know
  as Peloponnesus.
• By 500 B.C. was the greatest military power in
  Greece
• About 800 B.C. aristocrats took control of
  Sparta.
• Ruled by two kings, they only led the army and
  conducted religious services

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Sparta cont

• Only aristocrats could be citizens.
• All citizens over 20 yrs. old were members of the
  Assembly.
• Five ephors (managers) were chosen each year.
• Council of Elders helped the ephors, they were
  men over 60 yrs. old and chosen for life. They
  also helped the Assembly and served as high court.

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Sparta cont

• The land was farmed by helots, or enslaved people
  owned by the city-state.
• Half of their crops were turned over to the
  aristocrats who lived in the center of the polis.
• Business and trade was left to the perioeci, or
  merchants and artisans who lived in the villages.
  They were neither slaves or citizens.
• The aristocrats trained for the army and war.
• By 750 B.C. there 20 times more helots and
  perioeci than aristocrats.
• The aristocrats chose to use force to keep down
  the helots and perioeci.

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Spartan Way of Life

• The Spartans wanted to be the strongest in
  Greece.
• Newborn babies were examined to make sure they
  were healthy. If they were the were allowed to
  live. If not they were left on a hillside to die.
• At age seven Spartan boys were sent to live in
  military camps.
• They learned to read, write, and use weapons.
• They received only small amounts of food, were
  forced to go barefoot, and were given only one
  cloak to wear.

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Way of Life cont

• They were forced to walk in silence with eyes on
  the ground, they only spoke when necessary.
• They slept outdoors without cover.
• Every ten days they were lined up to make sure
  they were not getting fat.
• At age 20 they were expected to marry, but could
  not have a household of their own.
• They could retire from the army at age 60.

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Way of Life cont

• Spartan women had more freedoms than women in
  other city-states.
• In other city-states for women most of their time
  was spent at home doing household duties.They did
  not go without a chaperone and then only to visit
  other women or religious services.They never
  spoke to men on the street or entertained their
  husbands friends.

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Way of Life cont

• Spartan women though mixed freely with men.
• They enjoyed sports such as wrestling and racing.
• They told the men going off to war, come home
  with your shield or on them.

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Way of Life cont

• Spartans believed new ideas would weaken their
  way of life, so they tried to prevent change.
• When other city-states began to use coins they
  still used iron rods.
• Other city-states developed literature and art.
• They also built up business, trade, and improved
  their way of life.
• Sparta remained a poor farming society dependent
  on slaves.
• Their only goal from the beginning until its
  defeat in 371 B.C. was to be militarily strong.

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Lesson Objectives

• Identify Sparta, Athens, Peloponnesus, Assembly,
  Council of Elders
• Define Polis, Acropolis, Agora, Aristocrats,
  Helots, Perioeci
• What rights and duties did Greek citizens have?
• How was the lifestyle of Spartan women different
  from that of other Greek women?

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Lesson Objectives Cont

• How was Sparta different from other Greek
  city-states?
• Which of the requirements for citizenship in
  early Greece do you think were fair and which
  were not? Explain.
• What parts of Spartan life would you have enjoyed
  and what would you have wanted to change? Explain.

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The End of Lesson The Polis and Sparta