Athens & Sparta

1. Athens & Sparta A Tale of Two City-States

2. Athens • Became a democracy c. 500 BCE • Council of 500 ( no women and slaves) • Gather and debate issues - water cup timer • Education • Boys attended school till age of 14 – train for citizenship • Girls helped mothers around house – usually married by age of 15 (wealthy = less choice) • Economy – depended on trade • Slavery • Captured in wars or born into slavery • Skilled craftsmen, clerks, tutored children

3. Socrates • During the golden age of freedom and education in Athens, many teachers traveled around Greece educating the young. One of the most famous of these teachers was a man named Socrates.  • Socrates also taught his students to think for themselves. He created a teaching method known today as the Socratic Method, which helped students think clearly, and question their currently accepted way of thinking. • Socrates was eventually accused of corrupting the young. After being convicted by a jury he was sentenced to death. 

4. School of Athens • Plato and Aristotle are central figures • Pythagoras is in lower left working on a theorem

5. Socratic Method • Socrates taught people by asking questions to stimulate thinking.

6. Plato • A young student of Socrates. • Plato opened a school called The Academy to teach people men to become better statesmen.  • Plato authored a book which he titled ‘The Republic’, which outlined what he believed was the perfect government. • Plato felt that a democracy was not the most effective form of government, because the lower classes of people could not be trusted. • He felt that the higher classes which were more educated aught to be in charge of the government.

7. Aristotle • After studying with Plato for nearly 20 years, Aristotle set out on his own as a teacher. He opened a school in Athens, where he taught on everything from science, to politics, to critical thinking.  • Aristotle wrote over 200 books during his life. These books would remain long after his death, and would effect western thinking for centuries to come. 

8. S.P.A.A. • Socrates taught Plato • Plato taught Aristotle • Aristotle taught Alexander the Great

9. The AcropolisThen and Now

10. The Golden Proportion 1 : 1.618 • A fascinating instance of the golden ratio is a golden rectangle, that is, a rectangle with sides that have the relationship 1:1.618. • If you take a rectangle of this size and remove the square formed by the shorter side, you’re left with another golden rectangle. • In the image of a golden rectangle above, for instance, the sides a and b have the relationship 1:1.618. Remove the square formed by the shorter side (the one in blue) and the rectangle that’s left (the one in pink) is itself a golden rectangle. You can repeat the process to infinity.

11. Statue of Athena inside The Parthenon • Athenians would make votives (offerings) to Athena • Athena: Forty feet tall, this tower of ivory and gold cost even more than the building which housed it.

12. Phidias Showing the Frieze of the Parthenon to his Friends • Pericles, the bearded man facing Phidias. • In the foreground stands a boy, Alcibiades, with Socrates.

13. The Parthenon

14. Sparta • Government - Oligarchy • Council of Elders – Real power in Sparta • Two Kings and 28 men over age of 60 • Assembly of male citizens – little power • Economy – farming and war • Discouraged trade and new ideas • Slavery – conquered neighbors called helots • Paid Sparta with food

15. Agoge System • Produce men to defend Sparta • Boys enter army at age of 7 • Reading and writing not considered important • Experience pain without complaining • Difficult tests of fitness • Could not live with wife and family until 30 – military service continued till age of 60 • Girls - more rights than other Greek women • Received some military training • Protect house at times of war • Simple life (plain clothes, no jewelry, make-up) • Free to speak • Marry another man if husband at war too long