Athens and Sparta

Athens and Sparta

Athens and Sparta Living in Sparta • Life was harsh and cruel • One basic rule of law: Put Sparta’s needs above your own • Sparta had a huge, powerful army • Spartan citizens only trained for war • Helots farmed the land • Helots greatly outnumbered Spartan citizens

Athens and Sparta Growing Up in Sparta • Boys began military training at 7 • Boys were encouraged to cheat and steal, but were punished if caught • At 20, boys became soldiers • At 30, they could join the Assembly • At 60, they could retire from the army • Girls had more freedom and opportunities than any other girls in Greece • Girls exercised and trained to have strong bodies to have healthy babies • Women ran farms and estates • Spartans only interest was to be strong, brave and powerful in battle. • Spartan women told their men, “Come home with your shield, or come home on it.”

Athens and Sparta The Persian Invade • Persian Empire was extending its control through the middle east around 500 BC • They attacked Greek City-States in Ionia (Asia Minor) • They Ionian Greeks asked the mainland Greeks for help • The help didn’t work and the Ionians were conquered by the Persians • Persians then invaded Greece with a huge army • King Darius wanted to punish Athens for helping the Ionians revolt against the Persians • They intended to conquer all city-states • Athens and Sparta and other city-states joined together to defend their land • The Athenian army of Hoplite soldiers defeated the Persians at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BCE even though they were outnumbered 20,000 vs. 10,000 • The Persians left Greece defeated

The phalanx The phalanx formation was a block of soldiers of many rows wide and deep carrying 21 foot spears.

The Athenian Hoplite The Hoplite was a citizen soldier who paid for his own armor and weapons

Athens and Sparta The Persian Wars • In 480 BCE the Persians invaded again led by Darius’ son King Xerxes • Athens, Sparta, and many other city-states united to fight the Persians • Famous battle of The 300: 300 Spartans fought 5,000 Persians at the pass at Thermopylae. They held them for 2 days before all being killed • Athens built triremes, huge ships, to fight the Persians • At the battle of Salamis, the Persian navy was destroyed • Xerxes left Greece in defeat in 479 BCE never to return

Athens and Sparta Conflict and the Athenian Army • After the Persian War, City-states formed the Delian League to protect themselves from invaders. Sparta did not join • Athens became the most powerful city-state. They controlled the sea, trade, and silver mining • Athens prospered from the alliance, due to tributes paid to them, but other city-states did not Sparta and Athens at War • Athens used the Delian League to become rich and powerful • Sparta and other city-states formed the Peloponnesian League to protect them from Athens • In 431 BC, the Peloponnesian War began ( Athens vs. Sparta ) • Athens had powerful navy, Sparta had a powerful army • Sparta could not be attacked by sea. • Sparta invaded Athens. The war lasted 27 years • Plague killed 1/3 of Athens population • Sparta won the war and Athens never recovered • But, the war weakened Sparta too, and they were eventually conquered as well

Athens and Sparta