| Athens | Sparta |
| Athenian Government:
Direct democracy ("birthplace of democracy"); Council of 500 (charged with administering decisions made by the Assembly); The Assembly open to all male citizens (all citizens were eligible to attend such meetings and speak up).
| Spartan Government:
Oligarchy" (rule by a few), elements of monarchy (ruled by kings), democracy (through the election of council/senators), and aristocracy (rule by the upper class or land owning class); the Assembly of all Spartan males aged 30 or over could support or veto the council's recommendations by shouting out their votes.
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| Social Structure: Freemen were all male citizens: divided into numerous classes: at the top were aristocrats who had large estates and made up the cavalry or captained triremes; middle ranks were small farmers; lowest class was the thetes (urban craftsmen and trireme rowers). Slaves were lowest class, but less harshly treated than in most other Greek cities. Slaves had no rights, and an owner could kill a slave. Slaves varied in status: some were given important roles in Athens, like doctors or policemen. Women were rarely seen outside the home and had no rights in the Athenian democracy.
| Social Structure:
Spartiates (military professionals who lived mostly in barracks and whose land was farmed by serfs; they served in the army and could vote). Helots (serfs descended from those peoples who had resisted subjugation by Sparta and who were constantly rebelling. They were treated like slaves and gave 1/2 of their produce to the Spartiate citizens who owned the land. Women had few rights, but were more independent in Sparta than elsewhere in Greece. |
| Education:
Boys: Schools taught reading, writing and mathematics, music, poetry, sport and gymnastics. Some student's in their mid-twenties attended an academy where they would also study philosophy, ethics, and rhetoric. Finally, the citizen boys entered a military training camp for two years, until the age of twenty. Girls: Girls received little formal education (except perhaps in the aristocrats' homes through tutors); they were generally kept at home and had no political power in Athens. The education of a girl involved spinning, weaving, and other domestic art. | Education:
Boys: Boys were taken from parents at age seven and trained in the art of warfare. They were only given a cloak - no shoes or other clothes, and not enough food so they had to steal (to learn survival skills). At age 20 they were placed into higher ranks of the military. To age 30 they were dedicated to the state; then they could marry but still lived in barracks with other soldiers. Girls: Girls were educated at age 7 in reading and writing, gymnastics, athletics and survival skills. Could participate in sports; treated more as equals. |
Role of Women:
Athenian women and girls were kept at home with no participation in sports or politics. Wives were considered property of their husbands. They were responsible for spinning, weaving and other domestic arts. Some women held high posts in the ritual events and religious life of Athens (where the goddess Athena was the patron). Prostitutes and courtesans were not confined to the house.
| Role of Women:
Girls were educated in reading and writing and could participate in sports; they were treated more as equals to men. The goal was to produce women who would produce strong healthy babies. At age 18 she would be assigned a husband and return home. Citizen women were free to move around and enjoyed a great deal of freedom. Domestic arts (weaving, spinning, etc.) were usually left to the other classes. Spartan women could own and control their own property. In times of war the wife was expecting oversee her husband's property and to guard it against invaders and revolts until her husband returned.
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Culture:
Athenians believed in participation in government as a civic responsibility. Athenians believed in their cultural superiority and in their role in an empire and benefiting from trade. "Further, we provide many ways to refresh the mind from the burdens of business. We hold contests and offer sacrifices all the year round, and the elegance of our private establishments forms a daily source of pleasure and helps to drive away sorrow. The magnitude of our city draws the produce of the world into our harbor, so that to the Athenian the fruits of other countries are as familiar a luxury a .s those of his own." | Culture:
Children of citizens were raised to be "Spartan", taught to get along with almost nothing. Spartiate citizens were not permitted to own gold or silver or luxuries. By some studies, they used large metallic rods as currency - because they were more difficult to steal. Spartan children were taught to respect elderly, women, and warriors. Spartan mothers would say to their sons, "Either come back with your shield or on it" (meaning return victorious or die fighting). Sparta (and its allies) defeated Athens (and their allies) the Peloponnesian War in 404 B.C.E.
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