Athens Vs Sparta Research Paper

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Looking back to the early 5Th century BC we can see that Greece was split and dominated into two main powers. These two powers consisted of the militated Sparta and the democratic Athens. Although many might think that because of their shared time in history these two city states share a lot in common, the truth is that they could not be more different. On one hand Sparta was the strong, land power of Greece. They controlled many nearby territories and held the populace of said lands as slaves. Athens on the other hand commanded the sea. They focused their time and effort on politics and education. These two city-states differed in many philosophies and life styles. From military choices and political development to the freedoms given to the women and children. The differences that identify these two city states are interesting because of the effects that both of these cultures had on the life that followed. Understanding the dissimilarities…show more content…
The men were all forced to join the army and fight wars all around Greece, conquering any land that they could, and turning the people into helots, state slaves. By the age of seven the boys were taken from their homes, moved to barracks and taught how to fight and fend for themselves. If a newborn was seen as a burden or not deemed fit for duty officials had the right to take the child and kill it or leave it to its death. Same went for women who could not provide for their society by being barren or infertile. Socially they had three major classes that divided the soldiers from the outsiders and the slaves. Spartiates, the military professionals who lived mostly in barracks. Perioeci, known as the outsiders, free men such as craftsmen and artisans who could not serve in the army or vote on Spartan issues and policy. Then came the lowest class, the helots, they came from lands that resisted conquest and tried to rebel against Sparta, these people were treated as

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