The Polis ORGANIZATION AND GOVERNMENT ECONOMY ATHENS AND SPARTA

The Polis ORGANIZATION AND GOVERNMENT ECONOMY ATHENS AND SPARTA

Flow Chart This is another way of looking at the flow of the changes to the Greek Society through the Dark Ages. Please note the changes in the Language over time.

Organization of the Polis Began first around 800 BCE Polis (poleis) Central area: astu Many levels with a courtyard at the center Citadel: Acropolis High City Reserved for temples, shrines, treasury, government buildings Outside city suburbs and fields Still close enough to get to within a days ride by donkey

Athens Athenian Acropolis with changes over time.

3D Map of the Acropolis

Organization of the Polis Most cities had a place for trading: Agora Public square Business center Education center Sacred Civic center Site of trials and government business Structure of Society Citizens

Greek Polis continued Community of men and women Only male citizens could vote Pass on property through the man Women protected against seizure and violence Resident Aliens No rights but could do business Slaves No rights at all

Greek Polis continued Size only referred to citizens Example: Athens population of 35,000-45,000 citizens With woman, children, resident foreigners, and slaves Athens and villages Attica 200,000-300,000 Sparta 12,000 citizens

Self Government Though every poleis are very different Self-government by male citizens Problem: large quantity of people living in small areas And close proximity to many poleis Civil War Solution: Government Corinth: Oligarchy Athens: Democracy with control by a representative body

Greek Armies and the Polis Self-Government: VERY RARE Exception: Sparta Run by two kings Co-ruling Hoplite Infantry soldiers May have been a reason for self-government Demand by a heavily armed citizens Defended the polis Disappearance of kings

Phalanx Very Powerful Nearly unbeatable Rows of Hoplites 8 deep Everyone carrying a shield and sword and spear

Greek City-State SPARTA ATHENS

Sparta Most influential Dorian state Destroyed conquered Messenia War 736 to 716 BCE Enslaved all the surviving population Only males who were demonstrably pure Spartan Citizens Each given land to support their service in the military Each had enough helots to work the land Helots outnumbered Spartans 7 to 1

Sparta continued Messenians had an uprising around 650BCE Failed badly More rigid against the Helots Lawgiver: Lycurgus New law new society Government From Lycurgus reforms Oligarchy Public assembly only males from age 30 could vote

Sparta Government Elected council of twenty-eight elders All over the age 60 Will serve for life Assembly will choose 5 ephors (overseers) Each serve for one year These will act as ambassadors Summon the Assembly Act as a check on the two kings

Spartan Government Oligarchy was the ultimate government to the Spartans A kind of democracy Dominated Peloponnesian states Conquest Fear By 560BCE failed 530 BCE Sparta needed allies

Spartan International Politics Peloponnesian League Alliance with neighboring poleis First of the great alliance of the Greek Unique in the Ancient World Spartans led the league but did not control it Most of this has been learned from the video but

Spartan Military Spartan male dedicates whole life to the military Age 7 though age 60 Warriors lived, trained together and very sadistic Taught to steal, kill helots Spartan women They ran the home and trained the future mothers of Sparta

Spartan Military continued Spartan rarely visited wife It was their responsibility to make sure there were children If childless a women should have children of another man besides her husband Focus was on being War ready not family Sparta cut off from Greece by 2 mountain ranges Traded little Used Iron currency (worthless to the rest of Greece)

Rarely traveled except to war on other poleis Made fine pottery until 525 BCE No other art to speak of Very much an isolated people Dominated the whole of the Attica plain From the early time it was a very large polis Traders from earliest times

Had Kings early but didn t last Reasons for the change has been discussed Last Monarchy was in 683 BCE City was managed by 3 Archons (later increased to 9) Administrators elected annually After the year moved to a council called Areopagus Eventually 300 men

All elders of Athenian society Permanent members VERY influential Reforms in 621 BCE Draco Codified law on homicide Distinguished between voluntary/involuntary homicide First in a series of law codes established for justice Crisis in Athenian Economy