Name: Class: The Rise of Greek City-States: Athens Versus Sparta By USHistory.org 2016 This text details the rise of two great ancient Greek city-states: Athens and Sparta. These were two of hundreds of city-states in ancient Greece. Most were small, though there were dozens of large and influential ones. Athens was highly influential and formed an alliance with many city-states, known as the Delian League, in 477 B.C. Sparta had its own alliances, and they would eventually fight against the Delian League for power over the region in the Peloponnesian War. As you read, note the major elements of daily life in different Greek city-states. [1] Geography plays a critical role in shaping civilizations, 1 and this is particularly true of ancient Greece. The Greek peninsula 2 has two distinctive 3 geographic features that influenced the development of Greek society. First, Greece has easy access to water. The land contains countless scattered islands, deep harbors, 4 and a network of small rivers. This easy access to water meant that the Greek people might naturally become explorers and traders. "Temple of Hephaestus from ancient agora Athens" by Jebulon is in the public domain. Second, Greece s mountainous terrain led to the development of the polis (city-state), beginning about 750 B.C. The high mountains made it very difficult for people to travel or communicate. Therefore, each polis developed independently and, often, very differently from one another. Eventually, the polis became the structure by which people organized themselves. Athens and Sparta are two good examples of city-states that contrasted greatly with each other. Athens: The Think Tank The city-state of Athens was the birthplace of many significant ideas. Ancient Athenians were a thoughtful people who enjoyed the systematic study of subjects such as science, philosophy, 5 and history, to name a few. 1. Civilizations are societies marked by five distinct traits: cities, language and writing, specialized workers, complex institutions (such as government), and technology. 2. Peninsula (noun): a large piece of land that is almost entirely surrounded by water and is attached to a larger land area 3. Distinctive (adjective): different in a way that is easy to notice 4. Harbor (noun): a body of water by land that is deep enough to provide safety for ships 5. Philosophy (noun): the study of ideas about knowledge, truth, and nature 1
[5] Athenians placed a heavy emphasis 6 on the arts, architecture, and literature. The Athenians built thousands of temples and statues that embodied 7 their understanding of beauty. Today the term classical is used to describe their enduring style of art and architecture. Athenians also enjoyed a democratic form of government in which some of the people shared power. Sparta: Military Might Life in Sparta was vastly different from life in Athens. Located in the southern part of Greece on the Peloponnesus peninsula, the city-state of Sparta developed a militaristic society ruled by two kings and an oligarchy, or small group that exercised political control. Early in their history, a violent and bloody slave revolt caused the Spartans to change their society. A Spartan, Lycurgus, drafted 8 a harsh set of laws that required total dedication to the state from its people. The laws goal was to train citizens to become hardened soldiers so that they could fight off potential enemies or slave revolts. The result was a rigid 9 lifestyle unlike any seen in Greece at the time. The devotion of Spartans to developing a military state left little time for the arts or literature. A Spartan baby had to be hardy 10 and healthy. To test a baby s strength, parents would leave their child on a mountain overnight to see if it could survive on its own until the next morning. By age seven, Spartan boys were taken from their families and underwent severe military training. They wore uniforms at all times, ate small meals of bland 11 foods, exercised barefoot to toughen their feet, and were punished severely for disobedient behavior. Boys lived away from their families in barracks 12 until the age of 30, even after they were married. Men were expected to be ready to serve in the army until they were 60 years old. [10] Women, too, were expected to be loyal and dedicated to the state. Like men, women followed a strict exercise program and contributed actively to Spartan society. Although they were not allowed to vote, Spartan women typically had more rights and independence than women in other Greek city-states. Winning by Losing The differences between Athens and Sparta eventually led to war between the two city-states. Known as the Peloponnesian War (431-404 B.C.), both Sparta and Athens gathered allies and fought on and off for decades because no single city-state was strong enough to conquer the others. 6. Emphasis (noun): special attention or importance given to something 7. Embody (verb): to represent or symbolize in a clear and obvious way 8. Draft (verb): to make a version of something (such as a document) 9. Rigid (adjective): not easily changed 10. Hardy (adjective): strong and able to live through difficult conditions 11. Bland (adjective): lacking strong flavor 12. Barracks are buildings used to house soldiers. 2
The whole of Hellas 13 used once to carry arms, 14 their habitations 15 being unprotected, and their communication with each other unsafe; indeed, to wear arms was as much a part of everyday life with them as with the barbarians. 16 And the fact that the people in these parts of Hellas are still living in the old way points to a time when the same mode of life was once equally common to all. The Athenians were the first to lay aside their weapons, and to adopt an easier and more luxurious mode of life. -Thucydides, 17 The Peloponnesian War, (1910 translation by Richard Crawley) With war came famine, plague, death, and misfortune. But war cannot kill ideas. Despite the eventual military surrender of Athens, Athenian thought spread throughout the region. After temporary setbacks, these notions only became more widely accepted and developed with the passing centuries. The Rise of Greek City-States: Athens Versus Sparta by USHistory.org is licensed under CC BY 4.0. 13. Hellas is the name that Greeks used for Greece. 14. Arms (noun): weapons 15. Habitation (noun): a place where someone lives 16. Barbarians was a term used to describe anyone who did not speak Greek. 17. Thucydides is a famous Greek historian who wrote a complete history of the Peloponnesian War. 3
Text-Dependent Questions Directions: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences. 1. How does the author primarily structure the text? A. By describing the characteristics of all the major Greek city-states. B. By focusing on the development of societies chronologically. C. By comparing different city-states and their eventual conflicts. D. By discussing the impacts of city-states on society today. [RI.5] 2. PART A: What are two central ideas in this text? [RI.2] A. Greek city-states rose independently of one another because of natural geographical boundaries. B. Greek city-states formed alliances with one another through sea trade. C. Greek city-states operated separately from one another but chose to live in peace. D. Athens and Sparta were both democratic states that influenced modern governments. E. While Athens found its strength in ideas, Sparta found strength in military defense. F. Athens was able to outsmart Sparta and win the Peloponnesian War, resulting in the spread of Athenian thought throughout Greece. 3. PART B: Which TWO phrases from the text best support the answers to Part A? [RI.1] A. This easy access to water meant that the Greek people might naturally become explorers and traders. (Paragraph 2) B. The high mountains made it very difficult for people to travel or communicate. Therefore, each polis developed independently and, often, very differently from one another. (Paragraph 3) C. The Athenians built thousands of temples and statues that embodied their understanding of beauty. (Paragraph 5) D. Athenians also enjoyed a democratic form of government in which some of the people shared power. (Paragraph 6) E. The result was a rigid lifestyle unlike any seen in Greece at the time. The devotion of Spartans to developing a military state left little time for the arts or literature. (Paragraph 8) F. With war came famine, plague, death, and misfortune. But war cannot kill ideas. (Paragraph 13) 4. Which statement best describes the relationship between women and Sparta? A. Women in Sparta, like Athens, were not granted many rights compared to men. B. Women in Sparta were expected to serve in the military alongside their husbands. C. Women in Sparta were much more repressed than women in other city-states. D. Women in Sparta were expected to be strong and committed to the city. [RI.3] 4
5. How do Athens and Sparta help us understand the culture of ancient Greece? Cite evidence from the text in your answer. [RI.3] 5
Discussion Questions Directions: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be prepared to share your original ideas in a class discussion. 1. Why do you believe Athens and Sparta went to war with one another? Do you believe that although Athens surrendered, the city-state won through influence? Support your answer with reasons and evidence from the text. 2. What elements of Athenian or Spartan society can you identify in your society today? Can you think of other societies with different elements from these city-states? Cite evidence from the text, your personal experience, literature, art, and history in your answer. 3. Why do you believe Spartan lived such different lives from other Greek women? What are the benefits and costs of Spartan culture for women? 4. Athens and Sparta had very different forms of government. Do you believe that a partial democracy or an oligarchy is fairer? How do you think that the form of government influenced the culture of the two city-states? 5. In your opinion, which is a more valuable way of living through thoughtful and systematic study of subjects like the Athenians, or by fostering strength and uniformity through military training like the Spartans? Draw from your personal experience, literature, art, and history in your answer. 6