If anyone today were given the opportunity to travel in time to live in one of those two city-‐states, Sparta should definitely be the one they chose. Sparta is far superior to Athens because their army was fierce and protective, girls received some education and women had more freedom than in other poleis.Advertisements.
Full Answer
What were Spartan soldiers expected to do?
4. All Spartan men were expected to be lifelong soldiers. As grueling as Sparta’s martial education system could be, the soldier’s life was the only option for young men who wished to become equal citizens, or “Homoioi.”
Why did Spartan Warriors have such a rough go of it?
From fitness tests for infants to state-sponsored hazing, find out why these ancient Greek warriors had a rough go of it. 1. Spartans had to prove their fitness even as infants. Infanticide was a disturbingly common act in the ancient world, but in Sparta this practice was organized and managed by the state.
Why was food so scarce in ancient Sparta?
Food was intentionally kept scarce, and poor fitness was cause for ridicule. When a Spartan man completed the main phase of the agoge at around age 21, he was elected to a “syssitia”—a military-style mess where citizens gathered for public meals. To prepare soldiers for the strain of war and discourage poor fitness,...
What happened to Spartan soldiers who missed out at the Thermopylae?
According to the ancient historian Herodotus, two Spartan soldiers who missed out on the famous Battle of Thermopylae returned to their homeland disgraced. One later hanged himself, and the other was only redeemed after he died fighting in a later engagement.
What is Sparta known for?
Do women own houses in Sparta?
About this website
What are 3 reasons why Sparta is better than Athens?
Sparta is better then Athens because of its respect of women, more equal school system, integrity of government, treatment of slaves, and superior military.
What are 5 facts about Sparta?
10 Things You Didn't Know About SpartaThe first female Olympic victor was Spartan. ... 298, rather than 300, Spartans, died at Thermopylae. ... The Spartans enslaved an entire population, the Helots. ... Spartan hoplites probably didn't have lambdas on their shields. ... They used iron rods, rather than coins, as currency.More items...
What made Sparta so unique?
Sparta was unique in ancient Greece for being a society that enslaved fellow Greeks, mostly from the neighboring region of Messenia. These people were known as helots and their mass enslavement was crucial to both the success and eventual failure of Spartan society.
Why is it better to live in Athens than Sparta?
Athens was better than Sparta because, it had a better government, education system, and had more cultural achievements. One element of Athens that made it the better city-state was the government.
What is Sparta most famous for?
Sparta is known for their warrior society and caste system that was in great contrast to other surrounding Greek city-states. Sparta was also famous for their fighting style, which involved hoplite armor, shields, and spears, which were used in the phalanx style.
What did Spartan girls do?
Spartan Women In part to attract mates, females engaged in athletic competitions, including javelin-throwing and wrestling, and also sang and danced competitively. As adults, Spartan women were allowed to own and manage property.
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.
How did Spartans treat their wives?
To contemporaries outside of Sparta, Spartan women had a reputation for promiscuity and controlling their husbands. Unlike their Athenian counterparts, Spartan women could legally own and inherit property and they were usually better educated.
How did Sparta treat foreigners?
While foreigners were allowed in for religious festivals and missions of state, they were generally not permitted to live in the environs, though special exceptions might be given to friends and allies, (laconophiles) like Xenophon.
Who was stronger Sparta or Athens?
Sparta was leader of an alliance of independent states that included most of the major land powers of the Peloponnese and central Greece, as well as the sea power Corinth. Thus, the Athenians had the stronger navy and the Spartans the stronger army.
How was life in Sparta different from life in Athens?
The main difference between Athens and Sparta is their government, economy, and society. Athenian society, which was based on trade, valued art and culture and was ruled under a form of democracy. Spartan society, on the other hand, was a militant society whose economy was based on farming and conquering.
Who won Sparta or Athens?
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 old is Sparta?
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.
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 did Sparta get its name?
Sparta in Mythology In Greek mythology the founder of the ancient city was Lacedaemon, a son of Zeus, who gave his name to the region and his wife's name to the city.
What are 5 facts about Athens?
15 Incredible Facts About AthensAthens is Europe's oldest capital. ... Athens has experienced almost every form of government. ... If it weren't for an olive tree, Poseidon might have been the city's patron. ... The ancient Olympic games were never held in Athens. ... Athens is home to the first known democracy.More items...
What were the differences between Athens and Sparta?
Athens and Sparta were two city states or polis in Ancient Greece, they shared the same language and religion but they had completely different ideas on the way of living. Athenians believed that individuals should be free as long as they acted within the laws of Hellas, and Spartans believed in fighting for there polis. Spartan women were much more independent that athenian women. If I were a young women in Ancient Greece (so many years ago) I would want to live in Sparta. As a young woman in Ancient
Which city-state was stronger, Sparta or Athens?
Athens and Sparta are the two famous city-states in Ancient Greece. The Athens was more superior then Sparta. The Athenians were stronger because they had a better geography, government, cultural achievements, and I would rather live in the Athens. Athens had a geographic advantage because they were very superior. The Athens lived by the Sea which was an advantage because they had an excellent trading system. Even though the mountains protected Sparta it also caused trading problems, the Spartans
When did Sparta reach its height?
mothers when their sons left for battle. Sparta reached its height after defeating Athens in the Peloponnesian War in 431 BC. Everything in Sparta revolved around the city-state having the greatest military and best disciplined citizens possible. During the same time however, there was another prominent city-state to the northeast known as Athens, this city-state founded democracy and also made many strides in the fields of literature and mathematics. Although Athens was a very powerful city-state, the
How long ago was Athens vs Sparta?
Athens vs Sparta Ancient Greeks lived around 3,500 years ago and their legacy shapes the world we live in today. Ancient Greece was compromised of small city-states, of which Sparta and Athens were two. Although the competing city-states of Sparta and Athens were individually different as well as governmentally diverse, they both managed to become dominating powers in Ancient Greece. Athens was known as a place of wisdom and learning and their main goal was to create a society with well-balanced
Why were Spartans so famous?
Spartans were renowned for their devotion to physical fitness and proper diet, and they reserved a special loathing for overweight citizens, who were publicly ridiculed and risked being banished from the city-state.
What did the Spartans do to prove their fitness?
1. Spartans had to prove their fitness even as infants . Infanticide was a disturbingly common act in the ancient world, but in Sparta this practice was organized and managed by the state. All Spartan infants were brought before a council of inspectors and examined for physical defects, and those who weren’t up to standards were left to die.
How old did Sparta men have to be to marry?
Spartan men were not allowed to live with their wives until age 30. Spartan society didn’t discourage romantic love, but marriage and childrearing were both subject to some peculiar cultural and governmental constraints. The state counseled that men should marry at age 30 and women at 20.
Why did the Spartan girls participate in the agoge?
The agoge was partially designed to help make the youths resistant to hardships like cold, hunger and pain, and boys who showed signs of cowardice or timidity were subject to teasing and violence by peers and superiors alike. Even Spartan girls were known to participate in this ritualized hazing.
What subjects did Sparta use in the agoge?
Much of the Spartan agoge involved typical school subjects like reading, writing, rhetoric and poetry, but the training regimen also had a vicious side. To toughen the young warriors and encourage their development as soldiers, instructors and older men would often instigate fights and arguments between trainees.
Why did Sparta women bathe their babies in wine?
Babies who passed inspection still didn’t have it easy. To test their constitutions, Spartan infants were often bathed in wine instead of water. They were also frequently ignored when they cried and commanded never to fear darkness or solitude. According to Plutarch, these “tough love” parenting techniques were so admired by foreigners that Spartan women were widely sought after for their skill as nurses and nannies.
What would happen if a Spartan baby was abandoned?
Left alone, the child would either die of exposure or be rescued and adopted by strangers. Babies who passed inspection still didn’t have it easy. To test their constitutions, Spartan infants were often bathed in wine ...
What is Sparta known for?
One of the many great things Sparta is known for is it's education. At only age 7, boys are enlisted in to military schools to make the city-state a better place. We are happy to say that we have one of the best armies. While boys are at military school, girls in the family can enjoy the much loved sport, gymnastics. These girls are known for growing into great athletes because of their active childhoods.
Do women own houses in Sparta?
In most areas, women aren't even able to own houses, but in Sparta they have the opprotunity of owning their own land! Next, anyone can own their own house or business instead of being bossed around by someone who you don't even agree with.
