Athens and Sparta

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Athens and Sparta
Introduction
Presented by Jeanette Sanchez Subject Social
Studies Grade Level 6th
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Introduction
When it comes to ancient history, ancient Greece
has to be one of the most studied and admired
cultures. Within this culture, however, existed a
number of different poleis, all independent from
one other. These poleis developed into separate
ethnos, each with its own distinctive culture.
Out of the many poleis in ancient Greece, Athens
and Sparta are the two that have come to be
compared and contrasted the most. Each of these
two poleis had their own strengths and
weaknesses. This presentation gives a brief
overview of these two ancient powers, as well as
the reasons they each had for going to war
against each other.
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Athens

• Location
• Peninsula of Attica See Map
• Government
• In 508 B.C., Cleisthenes, an aristocratic
  reformer, enrolled all
• citizens in ten new tribes.
• Each of these ten tribes chose 50 members every
  year.
• A council of 500 people were responsible for
  administering foreign and financial affairs.
• The Arts
• Drama, architecture, philosophy, and history all
  flourished during the age of Pericles (461-429
  BC).
• The Arts played a vital role on every day
  Athenian life.

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Athens

• The Age of Pericles (461-429 BC)
• Period of time during which Pericles headed the
  Athenian Government.
• During this time, Athenian democracy grew at
  home.
• The arts became a part of every day life during
  this period.

• The Delian League
• A confederation formed in 477 BC after the defeat
  of the Persians.
• The Delian League was dominated by the Athenians.
• The Delian League succeeded in liberating all of
  the Greek states from Persian control.
• Once the Persian threat was over, the Athenians
  forced all the Greek states to pay tribute to the
  Delian League.

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Sparta

• Spartan Government
• Headed by two kings.
• Kings were aided by a group of five men known as
  ephors.
• A council of elders, made up by the two kings and
  a group of citizens over the age of sixty,
  decided on issues to be presented in front of the
  assembly.

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Sparta

• Location
• Southwestern Peloponnesus, in an area known as
  Laconia. See Map
• Spartans conquered the neighboring Messenians to
  take over their lands.

• Military State
• The Spartans made a conscious decision to create
  a military state in order to dominate their
  conquered neighbors (Laconians and Messenians).
• Education
• Boys were taken from their mothers at age seven
  and put under state control.
• Girls were encouraged to exercise in order to
  bear healthy Spartan babies as adults.

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Sparta

• Slavery
• The Spartans conquered neighbors were bound to
  the land they once owned.
• Helots, as they were known, were forced to work
  for food and shelter.

Battle of Thermopylae

• Culture
• Any new ideas (excluding military ones), were
  discouraged.
• High officials feared new thoughts could change
  the way Spartans viewed life.
• Philosophy, literature, and other art forms were
  unheard of in this society.
• Peloponnesian League
• Using its military power, Sparta gained control
  over the Peloponnesus.
• This control was used to form an alliance with
  almost all the Peloponnesian states.

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Persian Wars

• The Greek Empire expanded until reaching western
  Asia Minor.
• In 499 BC, the Ionian (Greek) cities, assisted by
  the Greek navy, unsuccessfully revolted against
  the Persian Empire.
• The Persian ruler Darius retaliated and attacked
  mainland Greece in 490 BC.
• The Athenian army, although greatly outnumbered,
  managed to defeat the Persian army.
• Xerxes, Darius son, vowed revenge against the
• Greeks.
• In 480 BC, the Persians attacked Greece one more
• time.

King Leonidas

• Under the leadership of the Spartan King
  Leonidas,
• the Greeks defeated Persia, first at the battle
  of
• Thermopylae, and finally in 479 BC at Plataea.

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Peloponnesian War

• After the Persian Wars, Athenian and Spartan
  societies continued growing apart from each
  other.
• It is believed that Spartas fear of Athens was
  the cause of the Peloponnesian War.
• Thinking both sides had the winning strategy, war
  between Sparta and Athens finally erupted in 431
  BC.
• Athenians believed they were safe behind
  Athens walls.
• Pericles ordered the Athenian navy to attack
  the seacoast of the Peloponnesus.
• Spartans believed their military tactics would
• easily defeat the Athenian army.
• During the second year of the war, plague
  devastated the
• crowded city of Athens.
• In 404 BC, Athens surrendered.
• Athens walls were destroyed, its navy was
• disbanded, and the Athenian Empire destroyed.

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The Greek World
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Glossary 1
Tyrant In an ancient Greek polis, a ruler who
came to power in an unconstitutional way and
ruled without being subject to the
law. Oligarchy Rule by a few. Direct
Representation A system of choosing delegates to
a representative assembly in which the citizens
vote directly for the delegates who will
represent them. Helots Serfs in ancient Sparta,
who were permanently bound to the land that they
worked for their Spartan masters. Acropolis The
citadel of an ancient Greek city, located at
its highest point and consisting of temples, a
treasury, and sometimes a royal palace.
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Glossary 2
Polis A town, city, or village and its
surrounding countryside. Aristocrat A person who
obtains power and riches through heredity. During
this time period, aristocrats controlled much of
the Greek wealth and government. Plague A
contagious disease responsible for the death of
almost one-third of the Athenian population
(430-429 BC). Democracy A system of government
in which citizens elect their rulers. Philosophy
Greek word that means love of wisdom,
philosophy is a Science which main goal is to
understand the nature of the universe.
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Resources
Use this link to get first-hand accounts from
great historians who lived during this period of
Greek history http//college.hmco.com/history/wes
t/mosaic/chapter2/module11.html Learn more about
ancient Greece an its everlasting effect on
Western culture http//www.ancientgreece.com Eve
r wondered whether you are more of a Spartan or
Athenian citizen? Wonder no more. This
interactive Website will put you in the shoes of
an Athenian or Spartan citizen of your
choosing http//home.freeuk.net/elloughton13/gcon
tent.htm Main resource used for this PowerPoint
Presentation Western Civilization A Brief
History, Volume 1 To 1715 by Jackson J.
Spielvogel (2002).