Essential Questions: What kind of society developed in Sparta? How did democracy develop in Athens?
I. Sparta: The Military Ideal
A. Unlike most city-states, Sparta was located in a valley not on a hill.
1. Moreover, it was not surrounded by walls for defense
B. Spartan society (3 groups)
1. Equals - they controlled the city-state
2. Half citizens - freeman who paid taxes and served in the army
3. Helots - slaves of the Spartan city-state
C. Government in Sparta
1. Two Kings were at the head of the government
a. One king led the army, the other took care of matters at home
2. A council of elders was made up of 28 male citizens
b. The council proposed laws and served on the court
3. The assembly voted to accept or reject laws from the council
a. In addition, the assembly elected 5 ephors to oversee the king
D. Life in Sparta�s military society
1. The goal of Sparta was make every adult male citizen a military machine
a. The development of Spartan fighting men began at birth
-The rigorous training led to a strong government and army
II. Athens: The Birth of Democracy
A. Athens developed differently from Sparta.
B. Athenian society
1. Citizens formed the top part of Athenian society
a. Only Athenian born males had political rights
2. The metics were non-citizens who worked as merchants and artisans
a. Metics paid taxes, but could not take part in politics
3. Slaves were at the bottom of Athenian society
C. Early government in Athens
1. After the monarchy ended, Athens was controlled by an aristocracy
a. Only citizens who owned land could hold public office
2. All adult males, however, met in an assembly
a. The assembly elected archons, rulers who served for one year
3. At first, Athens laws were not written down and people complained
a. Draco, an archon, created Athens�s first written laws in 621 B.C.
-These laws were extremely harsh
4. Eventually, nobles and metics became wealthy while farmers grew poorer
a. Discontent soon spread among the poor
b. Solon, another archon, settled the dispute by erasing all debt
-He also allowed all citizens to sit on the assembly
D. Athenian democracy
1. Over time, a direct democracy was established in which all citizens participated directly in making decisions
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Daily Life in Athens
Essential Questions: What goods did Athenian farmers, workers and traders produce or handle? How did life differ for men and women and for boys and girls in Athens? How did Athenian education fulfill the Greek ideal of a sound mind in a healthy body?
I. The Athenian Economy
A. Most Athenians were farmers who grew figs, grapes, and olives
1. They planted on terraced hillsides
a. Terracing means carving small plots of land from hillsides
2. Some farmers were sent overseas to set up colonies which helped spread
Greek culture and promote trade throughout the Mediterranean
3. Trade was important to the Greek economy
a. The Athenians exported or sold olive oil, wine, and household items
II. Home and Family Life
A. Athenians built magnificent temples and other public buildings
1. Most families lived in simple homes with no plumbing
B. Marriage and family life were very important to Athenians
1. Parents arranged marriages
a. Girls married young (13 or 14)
b. The main purpose of marriage was to have children
C. In many households, the mother took care of the children until the age of six
1. At age 7, boys came under the care of their pedagogue (slave who taught the boy manners)
2. Girls were considered inferior to men
a. They were citizens, but could not own property
III. Education and Military Service
A. Athenians placed great value on literacy and education
1. The Athenian ideal stressed a strong mind in a healthy body
a. Athenian boys studied reading, writing, grammar, poetry, music
b. They also practiced gymnastics, running, jumping, throwing and boxing
2. In the 400's B.C., men called Sophists opened schools for older boys
a. At these schools, boys studied government, math, and ethics
-Ethics deals with what is good and bad
B. At age 18, Athenian males received a year of military training
1. Young men who could afford armor and weapons became hoplites served in the center of the army
a. Poor men, who could not afford the equipment, served on the armies flank
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The Expansion of Greece
Essential Questions: Why did the Greek city-states unite during and after the Persian Wars?
What changes did Pericles bring to Athens and to the rest of Greece? Why did the Peloponnesian War begin?
I. The Persian Wars (500 B.C. - 479 B.C.)
A. Eventually, the mighty Persian Empire began to interfere with the Greek city-states (see map pg 122)
1. The Persian Wars united Athens and Sparta against the Persian Empire
a. Athenian victories at Marathon and Salamis left the Greeks in control the Aegean Sea
B. In the end, Athens preserved its independence and continued its innovations in government and culture
1. However, the Persians still meddled in Greek affairs and tried to prevent the Greeks from uniting
II. The Age of Pericles (461 B.C. - 429 B.C.)
A. Under Pericles, Athens developed a democracy in which all adult male citizens could now hold public office
B. Pericles rebuilt Athens after its destruction in the Persian Wars
1. In addition, he strengthened and extended the Athenian empire
C. Pericles also created the Delian League - an alliance of Greek city-states - as a defense against outside enemies
III. The Peloponnesian War
A. Unfortunately, Pericles failed to unite Greece under Athens
1. Discontent spread
a. Competition for control of the Greek world ensued
-Athens and the Delian League vs. Sparta and the Peloponnesian League (both had been rivals for years)
b. Sparta had the stronger army
-The war lasted 27 years
-In 404 B.C. the starving Athenians finally surrendered
B. After the Peloponnesian War, Greece was an unstable country
1. During this time, Greek still made great advances
2. Eventually, the Greeks were conquered by Phillip of Macedon