THE CITY-STATE AND DEMOCRACY

The people of Greece shared a common language and common beliefs, but politically they were divided

Greece was organized into separate city-states which were cities and their surrounding lands

• Athens and Sparta were the largest Greek city-states

• The center of city life was the agora. This was an open space were people came for business and public gatherings

• Many cities had a fortified hilltop called an acropolis (highest city)

• Monarchy, oligarchy, and rule by a tyrant were different political systems used in Greece.

• Each city-state was independent and the people figured out what type of government worked best for them

• Most Greek city-states started out as monarchies, or governments ruled by a king or queen

• Some city-states were ruled by an oligarchy, or rule by the few

• In an oligarchy the rulers are the wealthy and land owners.

• In a monarchy, the rulers are aristocrats (upper class or nobility) who inherit their title or their position.

• Because the poor people were not part of any of the governments they sometimes rebelled

• In Greece a tyrant was someone who acted like a king without being of royal birth

• Some Greek tyrants worked to help the poor by creating jobs or canceling debts that they owed to the wealthy

• Tyrants were important in the development of democracy. They showed that if common people joined together behind a leader that they could have a positive impact on their own lives

• Athens built a limited democracy

• The Ancient Greeks invented the idea of citizenship

• In Ancient Greece only upper class citizens had power

• In 594 B.C. Solon was elected to lead Athens. He made a law that no citizen could be enslaved

In 500 B.C. Cleisthenes increased the citizens power even more by taking away power from the nobles and made it so that any citizen could now vote on laws

The Athenians were moving towards a democracy, a government where citizens make political decisions

The Athenians had a direct democracy. This means all the citizens get together to decide on the laws.

In the U.S. we have an indirect democracy because we elect representatives to make the laws

Athens had a limited democracy because it did not include all of the people who lived in the city-state, because only free adult male citizens could vote

Women, slaves, and foreigners could not take part in the government and non-citizens could not become citizens

HAPPY SAINT PATRICK’S

DAY

Sparta and AthensA. Sparta’s military state

1) Sparta was the main rival of Athens

2) In 715 B.C. Sparta conquered a neighboring area to gain land and this conquest changed Sparta.

3 )Spartan society emphasized military strength and building a strong army because it needed to keep the helots (slaves) in submission.

B. Government and Sparta

1) Sparta’s government was part monarchy, part oligarchy, and part democracy.

2) There were three groups in Spartan society; the citizens, he non-citizens, and the helots.

C. Education

1) The goal of Spartan society was to have a strong army.

2) At age seven, boys moved into military barracks. They were trained in discipline, duty, strength, military skills, and some reading.

3) All male citizens entered the army at age 20 and served until age 60* if they chose to get married they still had to eat with their fellow soldiers

D. Women1) Spartan society expected it’s women to be tough,

emotionally and physically.

2) Spartan education for girls focused on athletic training and teaching them how to defend themselves.

3) Family life was less important in Sparta than in other Greek city-states.

4) Women were allowed to own property

5) A wife was in charge of her husband’s property if he was at war

Athens’ Democratic Way of Life

Athens had two governing bodies

A. Government and Society 1) Athens two governing bodies were: The Council

of the Four Hundred and the Assembly

2) Citizens served in the armies and on juries

3) Foreigners, women and slaves were not citizens.

4) Citizens were organized into four classed based on income

5) Slaves made up 1/3 of the population.

B. Education

1) Boys of wealthy families started school at 6 or 7

2) They studied logic, public speaking, reading, writing, poetry, arithmetic, music, and engaged in athletic activities.

C. Women

1) Athenians expected women to be good wives and mothers

2) The roles of women in society were respected because they helped to keep the family and society and strong.

3) Athenian women could only inherit property if their father had no sons

4) Girls did not go to school

5) Only few girls could read and write

The Persian Wars1) Persia conquered much of Southwest Asia

2) A king and a highly organized government ruled the resulting empire

3) In 500 B.C. Persia conquered Anatolia

4) In 499 B.C. some Greeks in Anatolia revolted against Persia

5) Athens sent ships and soldiers to help the Greeks in the revolt

6) In 490 B.C. the Persians attacked Greece, near Athens on the Plain of Marathon.

7) The Athenians/Greece won by using a clever plan

A. Greek Victory 1) In 480 B.C. Persia invaded Greece again

2) An Army of 300 Spartans held the pass at Thermopylae to stop a Persian army from reaching Athens

3) The Athenians left their city to fight a naval battle against Persia

4) The Greeks sunk about 300 Persian ships

5) The Greeks beat Persia

Create a T chart comparing and contrasting the lives those who live in Sparta and Athens. You can compare: every aspect, those of women, and or those of men. EXAMPLE: Athenian women l Spartan women

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