THE CITY-STATE: SPARTA

1. THE CITY-STATE: SPARTA Matthew Lewis ED 639 October 22, 2002

2. Unit: Chapter 10 The City-State • Grade Level: 7 • Lesson: The Polis and Sparta

3. Lesson Objectives • Identify Sparta, Athens, Peloponnesus, Assembly, Council of Elders • Define Polis, Acropolis, Agora, Aristocrats, Helots, Perioeci • What rights and duties did Greek citizens have? • How was the lifestyle of Spartan women different from that of other Greek women?

4. Lesson Objectives Cont… • How was Sparta different from other Greek city-states? • Which of the requirements for citizenship in early Greece do you think were fair and which were not? Explain. • What parts of Spartan life would you have enjoyed and what would you have wanted to change? Explain.

5. Materials • Computer with projector • Textbook • Paper and writing utensil

6. Websites • http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~dee/GREECE/SPARTA.HTM • Spartan Women • Vocabulary • Ancient Map of Greece • Citizens of Sparta

7. Student Activities • Students will do map activity on page 165 for homework.

8. PRESENTATION

9. The Polis • A city-state, that was the geographic & political center of life • Acropolis: fortified hill in center of Polis • Agora: at foot of hill, used for marketplace • By 700 B.C. city-state formed

10. The Polis cont… • Each city-state had its own gov’t and laws. • The average size was from 5,000-10,000 citizens • Only citizens could vote, own property, hold public office, and speak for themselves in court. • In return they were expected to participate in the gov’t and defend the polis in time of war. • Workers born outside of Greece, women, children, and slaves were not citizens.

11. The Polis cont… • For Greek citizens civic and personal honor were one and the same. • The polis gave them a sense of belonging. • The good of the polis was put above everything else. • Two of the greatest city-states were Sparta and Athens. • Each developed with a different kind of government and a different way of life.

12. Sparta • Sparta was located in south-central Greece, know as Peloponnesus. • By 500 B.C. was the greatest military power in Greece • About 800 B.C. aristocrats took control of Sparta. • Ruled by two kings, they only led the army and conducted religious services

13. Sparta cont… • Only aristocrats could be citizens. • All citizens over 20 yrs. old were members of the Assembly. • Five ephors (managers) were chosen each year. • Council of Elders helped the ephors, they were men over 60 yrs. old and chosen for life. They also helped the Assembly and served as high court.

14. Sparta cont… • The land was farmed by helots, or enslaved people owned by the city-state. • Half of their crops were turned over to the aristocrats who lived in the center of the polis. • Business and trade was left to the perioeci, or merchants and artisans who lived in the villages. They were neither slaves or citizens. • The aristocrats trained for the army and war. • By 750 B.C. there 20 times more helots and perioeci than aristocrats. • The aristocrats chose to use force to keep down the helots and perioeci.

15. Spartan Way of Life • The Spartans wanted to be the strongest in Greece. • Newborn babies were examined to make sure they were healthy. If they were the were allowed to live. If not they were left on a hillside to die. • At age seven Spartan boys were sent to live in military camps. • They learned to read, write, and use weapons. • They received only small amounts of food, were forced to go barefoot, and were given only one cloak to wear.

16. Way of Life cont… • They were forced to walk in silence with eyes on the ground, they only spoke when necessary. • They slept outdoors without cover. • Every ten days they were lined up to make sure they were not getting fat. • At age 20 they were expected to marry, but could not have a household of their own. • They could retire from the army at age 60.

17. Way of Life cont… • Spartan women had more freedoms than women in other city-states. • In other city-states for women most of their time was spent at home doing household duties.They did not go without a chaperone and then only to visit other women or religious services.They never spoke to men on the street or entertained their husband’s friends.

18. Way of Life cont… • Spartan women though mixed freely with men. • They enjoyed sports such as wrestling and racing. • They told the men going off to war, come home with your shield or on them.

19. Way of Life cont… • Spartans believed new ideas would weaken their way of life, so they tried to prevent change. • When other city-states began to use coins they still used iron rods. • Other city-states developed literature and art. • They also built up business, trade, and improved their way of life. • Sparta remained a poor farming society dependent on slaves. • Their only goal from the beginning until its defeat in 371 B.C. was to be militarily strong.

20. Lesson Objectives • Identify Sparta, Athens, Peloponnesus, Assembly, Council of Elders • Define Polis, Acropolis, Agora, Aristocrats, Helots, Perioeci • What rights and duties did Greek citizens have? • How was the lifestyle of Spartan women different from that of other Greek women?

21. Lesson Objectives Cont… • How was Sparta different from other Greek city-states? • Which of the requirements for citizenship in early Greece do you think were fair and which were not? Explain. • What parts of Spartan life would you have enjoyed and what would you have wanted to change? Explain.

22. The End of Lesson: The Polis and Sparta