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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