Ancient Greece – Sparta and Athens

Sparta The Five Ephors Code of Lykurgos Phalanx Helots Athens Draco Solon

Cliesthenes Tragedies Pythagoras Hippocrates Socrates Logic Plato Aristotle

Sparta

Sparta → city-state located on the southern portion of Peloponnesus.

Was considered a military state considering its lack of focus on trade and wealth.

Were more concerned with building strong soldiers than making scholars.

Spartan Government

Spartan government was considered an oligarchy. It was composed of three different bodies:

Two kings, elected every nine years Council of elders, 28 men over the age of 60. Five Ephors, elected yearly by the assembly, held

the most power in Sparta.

Spartan Lifestyle

Lycurgus, a Spartan ruler, constructs a new legal code that the Spartans were to live by.

Code of Lycurgus → legal code that brought about the practice of removing unfit newborns, establishing the Spartan government structure, and strict control of helots.

Helots and the Need for Control As the Spartans

conquered territories, they took in slaves.

These slaves were to be known as helots.

The helots were state owned and eventually would almost outnumber the Spartans themselves leading to the need for strict control.

It is cause of this it is believed that Lycurgus sought to reform Spartan society.

Spartan Military

Spartan boys, if they managed to survive birth, lived with their parents until the age of 7.

At the age of 7, they were moved into a military barracks and lived with other children.

Their military training began at age 12 and they would serve until they were 60.

They were trained in the art of the phalanx formation → box-like formation of heavily armed soldiers

Athens

Athens → city-state located in the region of Attica in southern Greece.

Athens was considered a progressive city-state since it focused greatly on education and wealth.

The Athenians would make many contributions to world history compared to Sparta

Government Progression

Athens would start as a monarchy and would remain as such until 682 B.C..

An aristocracy would grow which established nine wealthy landowners would be elected to one year terms to rule Athens.

This aristocracy would fall apart with a massive drought which would lead to a power struggle to decide who should rule next.

This time period was so tumultuous, it became apparent that there was a need to reform the laws of the city-state.

Draco

Draco → famous Athenian judge who reformed the Greek laws revolving around murder and revenge.

These laws were so harsh that his name would become an adjective for harsh punishments (Draconian).

Death was a consequence for violation of many of his laws.

Solon Solon → aristocrat

who was elected in 594 B.C. who sought to improve the inequalities between the classes in Athens.

Would be known for his major reforms: Ended debt slavery Division of society Opened high offices

to lower class citizens

Cliesthenes

Cliesthenes → aristocrat who lead Athens in 508 B.C.

Would introduce democracy to Athens which gave every citizen a voice.

Empowered the assembly → could pass laws

Greek Drama

Greeks were known for their dramatic plays known as tragedies.

Tragedies → dramatic play that focuses on a hero or strong individual who has a fall from grace.

Some examples are Medea, Antigone, and Oedipus Rex

Pythagoras

The Greeks were known for making many advances in math and science.

Pythagoras → mathematician who derived a formula used to derive values for the different parts of a triangle

A2 + B2 = C2

Hippocrates

Hippocrates → known as the father of modern medicine.

Was responsible for figuring out that diseases had natural causes rather than magical or mythical ones.

Hippocratic oath is named after him.

Socrates

- Socrates → philosopher who believed that all aspects of nature should be questioned.

- Encouraged the use of logic → rational thinking.

- Would help people arrive at answers to questions by using the Socratic Method

Plato

- Plato → believed that philosophers were the only people that should rule.

- Believed that certain citizens lacked the intellect to be able to make competent decisions about government.

- Wrote the Republic which emphasized his beliefs about government.

Aristotle

- Aristotle → philosopher who encouraged the use of logic in all areas of life.

- Denounced religion as the source of all knowledge.

- would open one of the first schools in Europe and would tutor Alexander the Great.