Chapter 4 Daily Focus Skills
Athens and Sparta became the two most powerful citystates in ancient Greece. SPARTA AND ATHENS SECTION 2 Sparta focused on its military force, while Athens focused on trade, culture, and democracy.
OBJECTIVES FOR THIS LESSON: Trace the transition from tyranny and oligarchy to early democratic forms of government and back to dictatorship in ancient Greece, including the significance of the development of the idea of citizenship. Identify characteristics including economy, social relations, religion, and political authority of various societies (i.e.,, Greek City-States, Indian). Compare and contrast life in Athens and Sparta. Compare and contrast the status of women and slaves between Athens and Sparta. Analyze the causes, course, and consequences of the Persian Wars. Analyze the causes, course, and consequences of the Peloponnesian Wars between Athens and Sparta.
HISTORY OF GREEK CITY-STATES Kings controlled the first Greek communities. Nobles, who owned large farms, seized power from the Greek kings and controlled the city-states. Farmers had to borrow money from nobles and often could not pay back the debt. The farmers lost their land and had to work for the nobles or were sold into slavery.
Unhappy farmers demanded changes in the power structure of the city-states. This unhappiness led to the rise of tyrants, or people who take power by force and rule with total authority. Tyrants overthrew the nobles during the 600s B.C.
Tyrants maintained their popularity by building marketplaces, temples, and walls. The Greek people eventually tired of the tyrants. Greeks didn t want one person to rule.
GREEK GOVERNMENT The Greek city-states developed the idea of citizenship, but each city-state had different types of government. Most city-states became an oligarchy or democracy.
An oligarchy is a form of government in which a few people hold power. A democracy is a form of government in which all citizens share power. Sparta was an oligarchy; Athens was a democracy.
SPARTA To obtain more land, Spartans conquered and enslaved their neighbors, calling them helots. To keep the helots from rebelling, the Spartans created a strong military of boys and men.
Boys entered the military at age seven, left their families, and lived in barracks. They were treated harshly to make them tough. At age 20, men entered the regular army and lived in the barracks for 10 years. They returned home at age 30 but served in the army until age 60.
Men trained constantly for combat. They were expected to win on the battlefield or die. They were never allowed to surrender.
Spartan girls were trained in sports. They trained to become healthy mothers. They were freer than other Greek women they could own property and go where they wanted. Women lived in the home while their husbands lived in the barracks.
SPARTAN GOVERNMENT The Spartan government was an oligarchy. Two kings headed a council of elders and an assembly. All men over 30 belonged to the assembly. The chose 5 ephors collected taxes and enforced laws. The Spartan government kept foreign travelers out and discouraged its own citizens from traveling in order to maintain control of the country. This kept people from questioning the Spartan system of government.
ATHENS Unlike the Spartans, Athenians were more interested in building a democracy than building a military force. Boys in Athens attended school to learn reading, writing, and arithmetic. Boys learned sports and to play the lyre.
Athenian girls learned household duties from their mothers. Some wealthy girls learned reading, writing, and playing the lyre.
The government of early Athens was an oligarchy. The farmers sold land and sold themselves into slavery to free themselves of debt. A noble named Solon reformed the Athenian government in 594 B.C. He Canceled all of the farmers debts.
The tyrant Peisistratus seized power 30 years after Solon s reforms. He was popular because he divided the rich nobles estates and gave the land to the poor. He loaned the poor money and gave them jobs building temples.
Cleisthenes took power after Peisistratus. He created a democracy in Athens. Cleisthenes gave the assembly (all male citizens) more power. He also created a new council to help the assembly carry out its duties. This council of 500 made laws and handled the treasury. Members of the council were chosen by lottery.