Sparta and Athens

Warm Up!!! Before our study on the city-states of

Sparta and Athens, please answer the following questions in complete sentences: How did mountains affect the

development of Ancient Greece? Define the two governments ‘oligarchy’

and ‘direct democracy’. Briefly, explain which government YOU

think is more efficient, oligarchy or direct democracy.

Emergence of Democracy

City states controlled primarily by monarchs between 1000 and 700 BCE.

Power then shifted to men who owned land and had money - nobility/aristocracy. Greedy, not concerned with the welfare of lower

classes.

As wealth spread through increased trade and militaries emerged into more effective forces, power shifted to small groups of citizens in some (oligarchy - Sparta) and to the citizens in others (democracy - Athens).

Slaves played a major role in Greek city-states. Worked as builders, miners, craft producers,

farmers, and house servants.

Emergence of Democracy (cont.)

Mainly became slaves when captured during wars.

Among Greek city-states, Thebes and Corinth were largest, but Sparta and Athens were the most powerful.

Sparta Along with Athens, one of the strongest Greek city-states.

Located in Southern Greece.

Descended from the Dorians.

The city was landlocked (no access to water), forced to depend on a large slave population and agriculture for wealth.

Created a powerful military state Conquered the Messenians in 725 BCE and forced them to

become helots. Forced to live as peasants on their land and give half of their

crops to the Spartan government each year.

Spartan Government

Spartan government consisted of two groups:1. Assembly:

All free adult males Elected officials and voted on major issues

2. Council of Elders: Proposed laws that the assembly voted on Included Ephors - Five individuals carried out

the laws and controlled education and served as judges, the most powerful people in Sparta

Two kings controlled the military.

Spartan Society Rigid social structure

with several groups: Citizens - those who

descended from original inhabitants Ruling families who

owned land. Noncitizens - free

individuals who worked in commerce and industry.

Helots - Unfree individuals who farmed the land for the state.

Slaves - household servants and those who worked for warriors

Had the most powerful military between 600 and 371 BCE.

Spartans had few individual liberties.

Spartan Society Men’s life centered

around military training. Boys left home at

the age of seven, did not leave the military barracks until the age of 30, and retired at the age of 60.

Goal was to create a dominate military.

Spartan Society, Cont’d

This focus on the military led to a lack of arts and discouraging individualism, the focus was on Sparta.

Women managed family estates while men served Sparta. Unlike other Greek city-states, women were visible (but could

not vote).

Athens Located in eastern

Greece, north of Sparta.

Had access to the Aegean Sea and established wealth based on trade. Developed a

dominate navy to protect trade

Developed a limited democracy - rule by the people. Citizens played a role in decisions. Citizens = free adult males Women, slaves, foreigners were not citizens and

had few rights.

Athenian Society Slaves constituted 1/3 of the

population - worked in mines, farms, and as house servants.

Women managed the household (raised children, wove clothing, cooked, etc.).

Common clashes between aristocrats and common people led to a shift towards democracy.— Peasants demanded a

written code of laws.

On the Road to Democracy

• Draco (a judge) wrote the first code of laws around 622 BCE that favored the upper classes.

• In 594, Solon wrote a code that did the following:— Outlawed slave debt.— Allowed more citizens to

participate and debate policies in the Athenian assembly.

— Allowed citizens to bring charges against wrongdoers.

— Encouraged the export of grapes and olives, which started an overseas trade that was profitable.

— Limited the power of the nobility.

On the Road to Democracy (cont.)

General Pisistratus took over as a tyrant in 546 BCE by gaining the support of the poor: Provided money to help

peasants to buy farm equipment.

Taxed agriculture production.

Launched building program to employ the poor.

Cleisthenes continued reforms in 508 BCE, establishing the first true democracy-“the father of Athenian democracy.” Took away power from

the nobility in the assembly -more equality.

Allowed all citizens to submit laws for debate in the Athenian Assembly.

Created the Council of 500, which administered the laws and performed the everyday business of government.

Established a jury system for court trials.

Warm Up!! In complete sentences, please answer the

following questions:

What are the two city-states that we covered last class and what governments do they practice?

What are the Spartans most remembered for?

Explain the ideas of Solon. Who did he try to help?

Major EventsPersian Wars

First Persian War: Around 500 BCE the Ionian Greek colonies rebelled against the

Persians. The Greek city-states united against the Persian King Darius. In 492 BCE, Darius attacked Greece and was eventually defeated

by Athens at the Battle of marathon in 490 BCE.

First Persian War – Maps and Events

Major Events (cont.)

Second Persian War: Darius’ successor, Xerxes,

invaded Greece in 480 BCE with a superior army and navy.

300 Spartan soldiers led by King Leonidas I held off Persians at the Battle of Thermopylae.

Athenians destroyed the Persian navy at the Battle of Salamis.

Athenians and Spartans joined together to defeat the Persians and end the war at the Battle of Platea.

After the wars, fearing another Persian invasion, Athens created the DelianLeague - a defensive alliance of several Greek city-states. Did not include Sparta so they could lead it. Led to tensions between the two.

In response to the creation of the Delian League, Sparta created its own alliance - the Peloponnesian League.

Golden Age

A period when drama, sculpture, poetry, philosophy, architecture, and science peaked in Athens.

Athens during the reign of Pericles - also known as the Age of Pericles between 461 and 429 BCE.

Pericles had three goals for Athens: Strengthen Athenian democracy - expand the number of

officials and allow people to rule directly, not through representatives (direct democracy).

Hold and strengthen Athens’ empire - increased the size and strength of the navy.

Rebuild Athens after the Persian Wars and glorify it - had the Parthenon rebuilt.

Peloponnesian War

A rivalry emerged between Athens and Sparta.

Sparta declared war on Athens in 431 BCE as Athens continued to increase its power.

While Athens had the best navy, Sparta had the best army.

Athens attempted to avoid fighting the advancing Spartan armies on land by pulling people from the countryside behind the city walls.

Plague struck the city in 430 BCE killing between 1/3 and 2/3 of the population, including Pericles.

Forced to surrender in 404 BCE.

The wars left Greece devastated and all city-states seriously weakened. Athens lost its empire,

power, and wealth and people questioned the democratic government.

Greece was left vulnerable to attack from outsiders.

Slowed the advancement of Greek culture.