Similarities Between Athens And Sparta

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At first glance, Sparta and Athens appeared as two very different poleis of Ancient Greece. However, if one examined the pair more closely, they could see more similarities. Nevertheless, the similarities are on a broader level and differences still remained. Both Sparta and Athens fit the definition of a polis. I would define a polis as city-state – an urban center with countryside. An essential factor is some amount of unity. With this, the people of city-state could band together and take on an adversary. Also, there was some amount of loyalty to the city-state, at least from full citizens. The citizens attempted to do what was best for their society. Further, there was an agreed upon form of government and all people had to…show more content…
Allegedly under Lycurgus, Spartan society experienced a renovation. He eliminated traditional aristocracy. In its place, the Spartan government consisted of a Council of Elders (Gerousia) and Council of Ephors, in addition to two kings. Kingship remained hereditary, divided between two families. Through these councils, citizens had a say in their government. However, most citizens had only limited involvement in the government, as it was an oligarchy. Further, Sparta had a strong sense of unity among its citizens. As Sparta was a more military-oriented state, this forced its citizens into unity. At the height of its power, Sparta had a formidable military. The agoge education system of Sparta was a requirement for male citizens. This education began at the age of seven for Spartan boys and continued until the age of eighteen. They lived their lives as soldiers and through their soldiering they could attain citizenship. To be recognized as a Spartiate, with full rights, one had to earn it; to be born a Spartan was not…show more content…
It could be argued that the strict regimen and laws enforced in Sparta stifled their people, in contrast with Athens. The majority of Spartans’ lives revolved around the military, leaving little room for creativity to be expressed, as compared to Athens. Another way in which Sparta did not completely fit the definition was their government. Although some citizens had an amount of participation in the government, not all citizens did. The power of Sparta rested with a small number of people, rather than with all citizens. Next, Athens will be examined as to how well it fit this definition. First, the government of Athens more closely fit this definition of polis. Under Cleisthenes, Athens gained democracy. From the ten tribes, fifty members served on a council of five hundred. If one was citizen over the age of thirty, they could serve on the council. The members would vote and pass rulings for Athens. As compared to Sparta, Athenian citizens had far more say in their government than the
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