11-4 Notes: Sparta and Athens

1. 11-4 Notes: Sparta and Athens

2. Sparta’s Military State • 715 BCE - Sparta conquered a neighboring area to gain land and forced the defeated people to become slaves, called helots • Worked on farms, gave Spartans half their crops • Despite being outnumbered, the Spartans put down revolts • Fear of these revolts led Sparta to become a military state focused on making a strong army

3. Government and Society • Part monarchy, oligarchy, and democracy • Two kings rule Sparta • 5 elected supervisors run the government • Council of Elders, made up of 30 older citizens, proposed laws • All Spartan citizens were part of the Assembly, who elected officials and voted on laws proposed by the council • Society divided into 3 social groups: citizens, free noncitizens from nearby villages, and helots

4. Education and Women • Goal of Spartan society was to have a strong army • At age 7, boys moved into military houses called barracks • Education stressed discipline, toughness, military skill, duty, etc. • All male citizens entered the army at age 20 and served until 60 • Spartan women were expected to be tough, emotionally and physically • Spartan girls had athletic training and learned to defend themselves • Emphasis on military made family life less important • Women had more freedom, were allowed to own property • Wife was expected to watch over property while husband was away at war

5. Athens’ Democratic Way of Life • Athens had two governing bodies • Council of 400 took care of day-to-day problems • Assembly voted on policies proposed by the council • Citizens had to serve in the army when needed and on juries, which could have hundreds of people • In Athens citizens were equal in the courts • No judges or lawyers, citizens defended themselves • Foreigners, women, children, slaves are not citizens • Slaves made up 1/3 of the population • Some worked in homes, agriculture, mining, industry • Some earned wages and bought their freedom

6. Education and Women • Boys of wealthy families started school at age 6 or 7 • Studied logic, public speaking, reading, writing, poetry, arithmetic, music, and athletics • Athenian women were supposed to be good wives and mothers to keep families strong • Some women had important priestess roles in temples • Athenian society had much less freedom • Women could only inherit property if their fathers had no sons • Girls did not attend school • They learned how to perform household duties

7. The Persian Wars • 500s BCE - Persian conquered Anatolia, east of Greece • 499 BCE - Some Greeks revolted • Athens sent ships to help them, and Persia decided to punish Athens for interfering • 490 BCE - Persians arrived on the plain of Marathon • Athens sent a runner to ask Sparta for help but they came too late • The Athenians, though badly outnumbered, won by luring the Persians in and then surrounding them, killing 6,400 and only losing 192 • 480 BCE - Persia invaded Greece again • 300 Spartans guarded the narrow pass at Thermopylae, giving the Athenians time to prepare for battle • Athenians defeated the Persians in a naval battle with smaller, more mobile ships