Sparta and Athens

1. Sparta and Athens Chapter 8 Lesson 4

2. Objectives • Describe daily life in Sparta and Athens • Describe the governments of Sparta and Athens • Explain the organization of the Persian Empire

3. Vocabulary • Helot – slave-like workers owned by the Spartan city-state • Assembly – lawmaking group • Reform - changes • Majority Rule – every member had one vote, and the idea that received the most votes passed • Fable – short story that uses animals in it to teach a lesson • League – a group of allies

4. Sparta’s Government • Spartans became powerful and conquered their neighbors • They formed a military society to fight against possible uprisings from helots and to defend against their enemies

5. Life in Sparta • Spartans were taught to be strong and disciplined • They had little contact with outsiders • Men served in the military • Women had many responsibilities and were respected

6. New Ideas in Athens • Athens’s coastal location helped in become wealthy through trade • Draco wrote Athens’s first laws, but they were harsh • Solon put in place reforms to help ordinary people

8. Toward Democracy • Solon’s reforms became the basis for Athenian democracy • Solon established a system that based political rights on wealth, not on birth • He formed a council of citizens to support the assembly

9. Life in Athens • Athenians educated their children to become good citizens • Most boys learned their father’s trade, and most girls learned to run a household • Nearly one third of people in Athens were slaves

10. Concerns About Persia • In the 500s B.C., Greek city-states faced a threat from the Persians, who wanted to control the Greek’s valuable trade routes • The city-states formed leagues for protection

11. Summary • Sparta was ruled both by an oligarchy and two kings. • Spartans led a strict military life. • Athens gave rise to early democratic forms of government. • Athenians were educated to be well-rounded citizens • Many city-states joined Sparta in the Peloponnesian League for better defense

12. Reading Check Questions • Why did the Spartans protect themselves with a military way of life? • Why were Spartan citizens rarely allowed to travel outside Sparta? • Why did Athens’s poor people grow angry? • What is the significance, or importance, of Solon’s reforms to the idea of citizenship? • How was an Athenian education different for boys and girls? • What made the Greek city-states fear the Persian Empire?

13. Reading Check Answers • Why did the Spartans protect themselves with a military way of life? • They were afraid that the helots would rebel and enemies would attack. • Why were Spartan citizens rarely allowed to travel outside Sparta? • Spartan leaders were afraid that new ideas would bring unwanted changes. • Why did Athens’s poor people grow angry? • Farmers fell into debt and had to sell themselves into slavery to survive. • What is the significance, or importance, of Solon’s reforms to the idea of citizenship? • They gave more citizens rights to participate in government. • How was an Athenian education different for boys and girls? • Boys studied at school while girls studied at home. • What made the Greek city-states fear the Persian Empire? • The Persians were building an empire and had already gained control of several Greek colonies