Post on 08-Jan-2016
description
04/20/23
Greek City-States:Athens and Sparta
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Spartan society • 3 social groups
• Equals: descended from the invaders, controlled Sparta
• Half-citizens: free, paid taxes and served in the army but had no political power, some farmed but others worked in the city as traders or artisans
• Helots: slaves, greatly outnumbered the other groups so Spartans used force to control them, in large part this is why Sparta became a military city-state
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Spartan Government• Two kings led Sparta
• 1 king handled military• 1 king took care of domestic matters
• A council of Elders• Made up of 28 male citizens over the age of
60• Proposed laws and served as a criminal
court
• An assembly • Included all male citizens over 30• Elected 5 ephors
• Made sure the kings stayed within the law• Elected for a 1 year term
• Controlled the education of Spartans
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Sparta’s Military Society
• Goal was to make every male citizen a part of the military machine
• Military worked to expand Sparta and control the helots
• A group of officials examined new born babies and those deemed unhealthy were left to die
• At 7 boys left home to join the barracks• Mainly military training but they also learned how to read
and write• From age 18-20 they learned specifically about warfare• At 20 they could marry but could not live at home until
age 30• Were available for military service until the age of 60
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Sparta’s Military Society (cont’d)
• Spartan women• Received strict physical training• Taught to be devoted to the city-state• Their best value was seen as producing
Spartan soldiers
• Results of military society: • Strong government• Almost unbeatable army• No individual freedom• Created almost no art or literature and
made almost no advances in science
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Athenian Society
• 3 class groups• Citizens: extended to all those born in
Athens, only the men had political rights
• Metics: born outside Athens, free and had to pay taxes but had no political rights and could not own land
• Slaves: captured in war, together with metics made up more than half of Athenian society
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Early Athenian Government• After the monarchy ended, an aristocracy took
its place
• All adult male citizens met in an assembly• Elected generals in time of war• Elected nine archons (rulers with a 1 year term)
• First written code created around 621
• Solon (archon in 594 B.C.)• Outlawed selling people into slavery to pay their
debt• Divided citizens into 4 groups based on wealth:
wealthiest 2 could hold office