Why is ancient Athens better than Sparta?
poleis are Athens and Sparta. After studying these poleis it is clear that Athens is the better polis because of its government, education, and society. The government in Athens was better then Sparta's government. After laws were written down and enforced, power was divided equally in Athens government.
What is the difference between Sparta and Athens?
Main differences between Athens and Sparta
- Athens is considered the home of Western civilization. ...
- Athens was based on a democratic form of government in which the people were elected annually. ...
- The central ideals of Athens were based on development, commerce, intellect, and wisdom, and did not force people to join the army. ...
- Athens believed in having strong family relationships. ...
Which is better Athens or Sparta?
- Strong land army, protection. Sparta advantage.
- Women could own property. Sparta advantage.
- Women had freedom. Sparta advantage.
- Strength/training. Sparta advantage.
- Possibly could make faster decisions. Sparta advantage.
- Democracy. Athens advantage.
- Powerful, able to conquer.
- Surrounded by hostile city-states.
Who won Athens vs Sparta?
The war, known as the Peloponnesian War, raged for 27 years between the Athenian realm and the Peloponnesian coalition commanded by the Spartans. The Peloponnesian War began in 431 B.C.C. and ended in 404 B.C.E. when Athens conceded defeat to Sparta.
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When did Sparta start and end?
The decisive Battle of Leuctra in 371 BC ended the Spartan hegemony, although the city-state maintained its political independence until its forced integration into the Achaean League in 192 BC....Sparta.Lacedaemon Λακεδαίμων (Ancient Greek)GovernmentDiarchyKing• c.930–900 BCAgis I• 207–192 BCNabis19 more rows
How long did Athens and Sparta last?
It became a 15-year conflict between Athens and Sparta and their allies. Peace was decreed by the signing of the Thirty Years Treaty in 445 B.C., effective until 437 B.C., when the Peloponnesian War began.
When did Sparta exist?
Reputedly founded in the 9th century bce with a rigid oligarchic constitution, the state of Sparta for centuries retained as lifetime corulers two kings who arbitrated in time of war.
What time period were Spartans?
Contents. Sparta was a warrior society in ancient Greece that reached the height of its power after defeating rival city-state Athens in the Peloponnesian War (431-404 B.C.). Spartan culture was centered on loyalty to the state and military service.
Does Sparta exist today?
Sparta (Greek: Σπάρτη Spárti [ˈsparti]) is a city and municipality in Laconia, Greece. It lies at the site of ancient Sparta. The municipality was merged with six nearby municipalities in 2011, for a total population (as of 2011) of 35,259, of whom 17,408 lived in the city.
Who won Athens or Sparta?
Athens was forced to surrender, and Sparta won the Peloponnesian War in 404 BC. Spartans terms were lenient. First, the democracy was replaced by on oligarchy of thirty Athenians, friendly to Sparta. The Delian League was shut down, and Athens was reduced to a limit of ten triremes.
How long did Sparta last?
The History of Sparta describes the history of the ancient Doric Greek city-state known as Sparta from its beginning in the legendary period to its incorporation into the Achaean League under the late Roman Republic, as Allied State, in 146 BC, a period of roughly 1000 years.
Is Achilles Troy or Spartan?
Achilles: Greatest Trojan War Hero of the Greek Army Greatest of all the Achaean heroes who fought at Troy, and the central character of Homer's Iliad, Achilles was the son of the Argonaut and companion Peleus and the Nereid Thetis, a goddess of the sea.
Is 300 a true story?
Therefore, historical inaccuracies are unavoidable and excusable since the film is not based on real history but on a fantasy graphic novel.
How long did Athens last?
3,000 yearsThe History of Athens is one of the longest of any city in Europe and in the world. Athens has been continuously inhabited for over 3,000 years, becoming the leading city of Ancient Greece in the first millennium BC; its cultural achievements during the 5th century BC laid the foundations of western civilization.
Did Rome conquer Sparta?
The Romans attacked Sparta when the parley ended but the Spartans withstood the initial allied assaults. Nabis, however, seeing that the situation was hopeless, agreed to surrender the city to the Romans. The Romans forced Nabis to abandon Argos and most of the coastal cities of Laconia.
Who beat the Spartans?
Modern scholars estimate that Xerxes I crossed the Hellespont with approximately 360,000 soldiers and a navy of 700 to 800 ships, reaching Greece in 480 BCE. He defeated the Spartans at Thermopylae, conquered Attica, and sacked Athens.
How long did Sparta last?
The History of Sparta describes the history of the ancient Doric Greek city-state known as Sparta from its beginning in the legendary period to its incorporation into the Achaean League under the late Roman Republic, as Allied State, in 146 BC, a period of roughly 1000 years.
How long did Athens last?
3,000 yearsThe History of Athens is one of the longest of any city in Europe and in the world. Athens has been continuously inhabited for over 3,000 years, becoming the leading city of Ancient Greece in the first millennium BC; its cultural achievements during the 5th century BC laid the foundations of western civilization.
How long did the Athenian empire last?
Classical AthensAthens Ἀθῆναι508 BC–322 BCOwl of Athena, patron of AthensDelian League ("Athenian Empire") shown in yellow, Athenian territory shown in red, situation in 431 BC, before the Peloponnesian War.CapitalAthens22 more rows
Is 300 a true story?
Therefore, historical inaccuracies are unavoidable and excusable since the film is not based on real history but on a fantasy graphic novel.
Why did Sparta attack Athens?
Because the Athenians had left Attica almost entirely undefended, and also because the Spartans knew they had a significant advantage in land battles, the Spartan strategy was to raid the land surrounding Athens so as to cut off the food supply to the city. This worked in the sense that the Spartans burned considerable swaths of territory around Athens, but they never dealt a decisive blow because Spartan tradition required soldiers, mainly the helot soldiers, to return home for the harvest each year. This prevented Spartan forces from getting deep enough into Attica to threaten Athens. Furthermore, because of the Athens’ extensive trade network with the many city-states scattered around the Aegean, Sparta was never able to starve its enemy in the way it had intended.
Why did the Athenians use their time on the floor?
The Athenians used their time on the floor to warn the Peloponnesian alliance what could happen if war resumed. They reminded everyone of how the Athenians were the principle reason the Greeks managed to stop the great Persian armies of Xerxes, a claim that is debatable at best but essentially just false. On this premise, Athens argued that Sparta should seek out a resolution to the conflict through arbitration, a right it had based on the terms of the Thirty Years’ Peace.
What was the alliance between Sparta and Athens?
Athens was part of the Delian League, an alliance of ancient Greek-city states led and funded mainly by Athens that eventually morphed into the Athenian Empire, and Sparta was a member of the Peloponnesian League. This alliance, made up mostly of city-states on the Peloponnese, the southernmost peninsula of the Greek mainland, ...
What was the common theme in Ancient Greece?
Fighting between Greek city-states, also known as poleis, or the singular, polis, was a common theme in Ancient Greece. Although they shared a common ancestry, ethnic differences, as well as economic interests, and an obsession with heroes and glory, meant that war was a common and welcomed occurrence in the ancient Greek world. However, despite being relatively close to one another geographically, Athens and Sparta rarely engaged in direct military conflict during the centuries leading up to the Peloponnesian War.
How long did the Peloponnesian War last?
As the name suggests, it was meant to last thirty years, and it set up a framework for a divided Greece that was led by both Athens and Sparta.
What were Sparta's imperial ambitions?
Athenian imperial ambitions that were perceived by Sparta as an infringement on their sovereignty and a threat to their isolationist policy. Nearly fifty years of Greek history before the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War had been marked by the development of Athens as a major power in the Mediterranean world.
Why did Athens feel Sparta was not contributing enough to the defense of ancient Greece?
At the time, Sparta had the most formidable army in the Greek world, yet it continuously refused to commit a significant amount of troops. This angered Athens so much that its leaders at one point threatened to accept Persian peace terms if Sparta didn’t act.
What was the difference between Sparta and Athenian government?
The Athenian form of electing a government was called Limited Democracy while the Spartan form was called oligarchy " (rule by a few), but it had elements of monarchy (rule by kings), democracy (through the election of council/senators), and aristocracy (rule by the upper class or land owning class). Sparta has had two rulers in recent times, who ruled until they died. On the other hand, the ruler of Athens is elected annually. Athens is said to have been the birthplace of democracy.
Why did Sparta become the protector of the Greeks?
That is why it considered itself as the protector of the Greek. On the other hand, Athens wanted to take control of more and more land in Greece. This idea eventually led to war between the Greeks.
What was the Lakonian Black Figure Kylix?
Lakonian Black-Figure Kylix; Sparta c. 570 B.C. Compared to the simple lifestyle of the Spartan people, Athenians had a very modern and open outlook. Unlike Sparta, in Athens, boys were not forced to join the army. As an Athenian, one could get a good education and could pursue several kinds of arts and sciences.
Why was Sparta an agricultural land?
Sparta was mainly an agricultural land because of its inland location. The most important imports were metals. In Sparta, men were mainly warriors; others were slaves. Their economy was mainly based on agriculture. Athens economy was dependent more upon trade. Athens became the foremost trading power of the Mediterranean by the 5th century BC.
How many rulers did Sparta have?
Sparta has had two rulers in recent times, who ruled until they died. On the other hand, the ruler of Athens is elected annually. Athens is said to have been the birthplace of democracy. Sparta was an “Oligarchy”. The Ancient Greek “oligos” translates to “few”, while “archia” means “rule” – ‘rule by the few’.
What is the significance of Sparta and Athens?
It is a center for economic, political, financial and culture life in Greece. Athens is the symbol of freedom, art, and democracy in the conscience of the civilized world.
What was the climate of Athens and Sparta?
Climate. Athens had a Mediterranean climate with great amount of precipitation, whereas Sparta had fairly temperate but very dry climate. Due to soil erosion and less vegetation, water was a very scanty commodity in Sparta.
What was the name of the colony that Sparta found?
Sparta founds the colony of Tarentum in Magna Graecia . Sparta, Argos and Paros hold the first documented musical competitions in Greece . Sparta crushes Messenian revolt. Peloponnesian League alliance between Sparta, Corinth, Elis and Tegea which establishes Spartan hegemony over the Peloponnese .
How long did Sparta and Argos sign a peace treaty?
Sparta and Argos sign a peace treaty which endures for the next 30 years.
What port did Sparta attack?
Sparta attacks the Athenian port of Piraeus .
Why is the Nike of Paionios erected?
The Nike of Paionios is erected at Olympia to commemorate the Messenian and Naupaktian victory over Sparta at the battle of Sphakteria.
Which alliance established Sparta hegemony over the Peloponnese?
Peloponnesian League alliance between Sparta, Corinth, Elis and Tegea which establishes Spartan hegemony over the Peloponnese . Sparta takes control of Thyrea from Argos . Sparta and Corinth unsuccessfully attack Polycrates of Samos . Spartan forces under Cleomenes I attack the city of Argos .
Who defeated Sparta in 404 BCE?
404 BCE. End of the Peloponnesian war, Athens defeated By Sparta at Aigospotamoi, Rule of the Thirty Tyrants in Athens. 404 BCE. Spartan general Lysander attacks the Athenian port of Piraeus destroying parts of the Long Wall fortifications.
Why were fortifications extended at the port of Piraeus?
Following attacks by Sparta, fortifications at the port of Piraeus are extended to reduce the width of the harbour entrances.
What were the Spartans like?
The Spartans were ruled by two kings and a small group of leaders who controlled the people by force. They prized military strength above all else. They were all about being strong and dangerous — a true warrior society. At the age of 7, Spartans joined a military school called the Agoge (ah-go-gey), that trained to be tough and fierce. They went everywhere barefoot, so their feet could be strong. They ate bland food and wore uncomfortable clothes to toughen them. They learned how to wrestle and fight as soldiers. They were taught self-control and to be courageous in the face of danger. All Spartans were expected to devote their lives to their city-state above all their personal wants and needs.
What were the Spartan soldiers called?
Spartan soldiers were called hoplites. In battle, they wore bronze helmets, breastplates, and red cloaks. They carried large round shields, and a spear or sword. They were truly fierce warriors and were known for their tight fighting formation called a phalanx. In a phalanx, hoplites stood close together with their shields overlapping to form a single wall of armor. Then they attacked together as one body.
What were the three groups of Sparta?
Sparta was made up of three groups: the Spartans, who were full citizens and full-time soldiers, the Helots, who were slaves to the Spartans, and the Perioeci (peer-ee-oh-see), skilled craftsmen who built things such as homes and weapons of war.
What were Spartan women known for?
Spartan women were known for being strong-minded and independent. They were also expected to be fit and physically strong. They received some education and competed in games such as javelin throwing and wrestling. They also enjoyed dancing and singing and were able to own their own property, which wasn’t common in other parts of Greece.
Why was the Navy important to the Athenians?
A navy was important because Greece was located on the Mediterranean Sea and surrounded by islands and other coastal city-states, which often attacked each other. Athen’s navy was made up of triremes (tri-remes), huge wooden warships that carried 170 rowers manning 3 banks of oars. The ships were 100 feet long and 20 feet wide. At one point Athens had over 400 warships and 80,000 sailors that protected their coasts. All young men joined the military when they were 18.
Where are Athens and Sparta located?
Athens and Sparta were located in what is now known as Greece in Europe on the Mediterranean Sea.
What did the Greeks love?
The Greeks loved beauty and found ways to express it through their sculptures. You could do the same by drawing beautiful things around you.
Why did Sparta and Athens split?
Part of the reason for the rift between Athens and Sparta was that they were technically two different cultures. The Athenians were part of a group known as the Ionian Greeks whereas the Spartans were Dorians. The names come from the dialect of Greek they spoke.
Why were Athens and Sparta never friends?
But because the two cities were so close to one another, any growth in Athenian influence could limit Spartan independence, which was simply unacceptable . These core differences made it so that Athens and Sparta were almost never friends.
Why did Sparta go to war with Athens?
But Sparta, which preferred to be left alone, wanted none of this, so it went to war to stop Athens from becoming too powerful.
What were the rival cities?
Of all the ancient rivalries, perhaps the most famous, and most influential, was that between Athens and Sparta. The two dominant cities of ancient Greece, tensions were always high between them. And while they avoided war for most ...
Why did the Spartans say "That's it for us"?
Time to go home.” The only reason they saw for this pan-Hellenic alliance was to defend Greece against the invading Persians. So, once they had been driven back a second time, this was no longer a threat, and they saw no need to remain friends with the rest of Greece.
What was Sparta's status?
Located on the Peloponnese, Sparta was an isolated city-state. It had all the resources it needed nearby, and it used war and a system of slavery to uphold its status, as well as its control over smaller cities nearby.
Why did Greek cities make alliances with other cities?
To expand their power and influence, cities would make alliances with other cities, often in order to wage war. This meant that Greek cities were often in conflict with one another. It wasn’t just Athens and Sparta.
What was the name of the battle that Sparta won?
Sparta's supremacy was broken following the Battle of Leuctra in 371 BC. It was never able to regain its military superiority and was finally absorbed by the Achaean League in the 2nd century BC.
Why did Sparta go to war with Athens?
Within six years, Sparta was proposing to its allies to go to war with Athens in support of the rebellion in Samos. On that occasion Corinth successfully opposed Sparta and they were voted down. When the Peloponnesian War, finally broke out in 431 BC the chief public complaint against Athens was its alliance with Corinth's enemy Korkyra and Athenenian treatment of Potidea. However, according to Thucydides the real cause of the war was Sparta's fear of the growing power of Athens. The Second Peloponnesian War, fought from 431–404 BC would be the longest and costliest war in Greek history.
How many people died in the Spartan earthquake?
The Sparta earthquake of 464 BC destroyed much of Sparta. Historical sources suggest that the death toll may have been as high as 20,000, although modern scholars suggest that this figure is likely an exaggeration. The earthquake sparked a revolt of the helots, the slave class of Spartan society.
Why did Sparta send an army to the moon?
After hearing a plea for help from Athens who were facing the Persians at Marathon in 490 BC, Sparta decided to honor its laws and wait until the moon was full to send an army. As a result, Sparta's army arrived at Marathon after the battle had been won by the Athenians.
What was Sparta's role in the Persian Wars?
Dorian Sparta rose to dominance in the 6th century BC. At the time of the Persian Wars, it was the recognized leader by assent of the Greek city-states.
How many delegates were appointed to go with Thermenes to Sparta?
A board of nine delegates was appointed to go with Thermenes to Sparta. This time the delegation was allowed to pass. The disposition of Athens was then debated in the Spartan assembly, which apparently had the power of debate, of veto and of counterproposition. Moreover, the people in assembly were the final power.
When was Sparta founded?
The History of Sparta describes the destiny of the ancient Dorian Greek state known as Sparta from its beginning in the legendary period to its incorporation into the Achaean League under the late Roman Republic, as Allied State, in 146 BC, a period of roughly 1000 years. Since the Dorians were not the first to settle the valley ...
What were the people of Sparta called?
The inhabitants of Sparta were stratified as Spartiates (cit izens with full rights), mothakes (free non-Spartiate people descended from Spartans), perioikoi (free non-Spartiates), and helots (state-owned enslaved non-Spartan locals).
Why were women in Sparta important?
Spartan women, of the citizenry class, enjoyed a status, power, and respect that was unknown in the rest of the classical world. The higher status of females in Spartan society started at birth; unlike Athens, Spartan girls were fed the same food as their brothers. Nor were they confined to their father's house and prevented from exercising or getting fresh air as in Athens, but exercised and even competed in sports. Most important, rather than being married off at the age of 12 or 13, Spartan law forbade the marriage of a girl until she was in her late teens or early 20s. The reasons for delaying marriage were to ensure the birth of healthy children, but the effect was to spare Spartan women the hazards and lasting health damage associated with pregnancy among adolescents. Spartan women, better fed from childhood and fit from exercise, stood a far better chance of reaching old age than their sisters in other Greek cities, where the median age for death was 34.6 years or roughly 10 years below that of men.
Why is the prehistory of Sparta so difficult to reconstruct?
The prehistory of Sparta is difficult to reconstruct because the literary evidence was written far later than the events it describes and is distorted by oral tradition. The earliest certain evidence of human settlement in the region of Sparta consists of pottery dating from the Middle Neolithic period, found in the vicinity of Kouphovouno some two kilometres (1.2 miles) south-southwest of Sparta. These are the earliest traces of the original Mycenaean Spartan civilisation represented in Homer's Iliad.
How many people lived in Sparta?
At its peak around 500 BCE, Sparta had some 20,000–35,000 citizens, plus numerous helots and perioikoi. The likely total of 40,000–50,000 made Sparta one of the larger Greek city-states; however, according to Thucydides, the population of Athens in 431 BCE was 360,000–610,000, making it much larger.
What is the coordinates of Sparta?
For other uses, see Sparta (disambiguation). "Spartan" redirects here. For other uses, see Spartan (disambiguation). City-state in ancient Greece. Coordinates: 37°4′55″N 22°25′25″E.
What was the capital of Sparta?
After the division of the Roman Empire, Sparta underwent a long period of decline, especially in the Middle Ages, when many of its citizens moved to Mystras. Modern Sparta is the capital of the southern Greek region of Laconia and a center for processing citrus and olives.
How did Sparta influence Plato?
Sparta had a double effect on Greek thought: through the reality, and through the myth.... The reality enabled the Spartans to defeat Athens in war; the myth influenced Plato's political theory, and that of countless subsequent writers....
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War Between Athens and Sparta
- Athens and Sparta were two rival city-states, while the latter had very well trained military and soldiers, the former boasted of a good navy. Athens and its allies, known as the Delian League, came into conflict with the Spartans and the Peloponnesian league, and in 431 BC a war broke out between the two cities - a war based on trade routes, rival...
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