Sparta and Athens are both ancient Greek civilizations. They are both known throughout the world as fierce warriors of the ancient world. Not only are they known as warriors, but they are known for their society. These civilizations fascinate many people with their many advances in political and social fields. Both have influenced culture today in many ways. However they do share similarities and differences. Although Athens and Sparta may seem similar in their social structures, they also share differences in their political and cultural institutions.
Athens and Sparta are both similar in their social institutions. They are both considered a polis, which is an ancient Greek city state. They had an agora where the citizens met to hold elections, public debates, or even protests. Men and women were separated in Sparta. Men received training at the age of 7 to become soldiers. They then fought in wars and did hard work. Women stayed home and took care of the household and sewed. Women also had more freedom in Sparta than in other Greek Poleis and could own their own land. In Athens, men controlled politics and events like the Olympic Games.
Women were told to stay at home and were always controlled by other men. Before women were married they were owned by their father, and then after they were married their spouse owned them. Women had less freedom and mostly sewed or cooked. Athens and Sparta, however, also shared some differences such as politics and culture. The civilizations of Greece weren’t completely similar. Both ancient civilizations differed in ways such as politics and economy. Sparta was considered an oligarchy, which meant that it was ruled by a few.
In Spartan society 5 people were elected as Ephors and 2 people were made kings. These two kings would later pass the title of king to a son they chose. Ephors could also overrule kings, however they usually focused on religious and military issues. Athens functioned through a democracy, and had many smaller groups who were elected and had some control. More specifically, Athens was a Sparta’s taxes were mostly based off of agriculture, due to poor farmland. The economy of Athens was dependant on trading, unlike Sparta. Athens and Sparta also differed in other ways such as culture and military.
Sparta and Athens not only differed in politics. They also shared differences in their culture and beliefs. Athens wanted to control more land while Sparta wanted to have itself seen as the “protector of Greece. ” They both worshipped the same gods and showed respect towards all their people. Athens and Sparta were both also very interested in dramas and philosophy. Athens was the site where the more popular philosophers of the past, such as Socrates or Plato, came from. Another view in which they differed was what they found important.
Sparta believed their military was more important than anything else, so they spent more time trying to improve it then other issues. Athens, however, believed the most important part of their society was their democracy. As for their military, Athens had ships that gave them arguably the best military on sea. On land, however, the Spartans were far better than other lands. Spartans fought in organized formations called a phalanx that were composed of hoplites, or Greek soldiers. These ideas show that Sparta and Athens aren’t exactly the same.
They’ve both contributed greatly to modern society and should be thanked for their many achievements and advancements. Without either of them humanity today might not be the same it is today. Athens and Sparta both share similarities and differences in their political, social, and cultural fields. They both created a path for future generations to follow and learn from. They helped us have what we do today and influenced many parts of our daily life. They should both be praised for what they achieved and what they’ve influenced in our daily lives today.
