The Ancient Greeks:The Ancient Greeks:Sparta and AthensSparta and Athens

Chapter 4 Section 2Chapter 4 Section 2Mrs. Deborah Thompson Mrs. Deborah Thompson

World HistoryWorld History

Children in ancient Greece played Children in ancient Greece played many games we still play today many games we still play today including backgammon, checkers, including backgammon, checkers, hockey, and chesshockey, and chess

TyrantTyrant – someone who takes power – someone who takes power by force and rules with authority.by force and rules with authority.

OligarchyOligarchy –rule by the few –rule by the few DemocracyDemocracy – a citizen-run – a citizen-run

government.government. HelotHelot – workers captured and – workers captured and

enslaved by the Spartans.enslaved by the Spartans.

Powerful Powerful noblesnobles with large farms with large farms seized power from the Greek seized power from the Greek

kings.kings.

Farmers lost their Farmers lost their landland and had and had to work for the nobles or were to work for the nobles or were

sold into sold into slaveryslavery..

Farmers often had to Farmers often had to borrow borrow moneymoney from nobles and could from nobles and could

not pay back the debt.not pay back the debt.

At the end of the Dark

Age…

TyrantsTyrants, or people who take , or people who take power by force and rule with power by force and rule with

total authority, arose.total authority, arose.

Support came from the Support came from the hopliteshoplites in the army, who were also in the army, who were also

farmers.farmers.

TyrantsTyrants overthrew overthrew nobles nobles because they had the backing of because they had the backing of

the the common peoplecommon people..

Unhappy Unhappy farmersfarmers

demanded demanded changeschanges

Changes in the Power Structure

1

2

3

4Sparta had an

oligarchy.

Athens had a

democracy.

Most early Greek Most early Greek tyrantstyrants acted wisely acted wisely

and fairly.and fairly.

Tyrants made themselves popular Tyrants made themselves popular by building new by building new marketplaces, marketplaces,

templestemples, , and protective walls.and protective walls.

Most Greeks didn’t want rule Most Greeks didn’t want rule by by one personone person, so , so

tyrants fell out of favor.tyrants fell out of favor.

By 500 B.C. most city-By 500 B.C. most city-states states

became either became either oligarchies oligarchies

or democracies.or democracies.

SPARTASPARTA

Life in Sparta

To keep the helots under control they To keep the helots under control they created a created a strong militarystrong military of boys and of boys and

men.men.

The results were …

So this happened …

Then this happened …

And that led to this …

Spartans feared that the Spartans feared that the helots might helots might rebelrebel against against

them.them.

Sparta was founded by the Sparta was founded by the DoriansDorians who invaded the who invaded the PeloponnesusPeloponnesus in the in the

Dark AgeDark Age..

Sparta needed more land to grow, so Sparta needed more land to grow, so they they conqueredconquered and enslaved their and enslaved their

neighbors.neighbors.

They called their captive workers They called their captive workers helotshelots, a Greeks word for “, a Greeks word for “capturecapture”.”.

Started with …

Children were raised Children were raised to be to be soldiers soldiers or the or the mothers of soldiers.mothers of soldiers.

Boys were sent to Boys were sent to live in military live in military barracks at the age barracks at the age of of 77..

Men trained Men trained heavily in combat heavily in combat

and expected and expected either to win or to either to win or to

die on the die on the battlefield.battlefield.

Spartan men Spartan men returned returned homehome at at

age of age of 3030 but but stayed in the stayed in the

army until army until age 60age 60..

At age At age 2020, Spartan , Spartan men entered the men entered the regular army and regular army and

lived in the military lived in the military barracks for another barracks for another

10 years10 years..

They were harshly treated to make them tough.They were harshly treated to make them tough.

Spartan girls were Spartan girls were trained in sports such trained in sports such as running, as running, wrestlingwrestling, ,

and throwing and throwing the the javelinjavelin..

Spartan women Spartan women

were freer than were freer than

other Greek other Greek

women and could women and could

own own propertyproperty..

Women ran the Women ran the homes and homes and farms farms

while the men were while the men were in the military in the military and living inand living in

the the barracksbarracks..

They kept fit to They kept fit to become healthy become healthy

mothersmothers..

Spartan Women

Goddess Artemis was often seen as a Patron goddess

and warrior in Sparta.

Sparta’s Governme

nt

Means rule by a few.Means rule by a few.

Two kings headed a council of elders.Two kings headed a council of elders.

The council included 28 citizens over The council included 28 citizens over age 60 and presented laws to an age 60 and presented laws to an

assembly.assembly.Oligarchy

Ephors enforced the laws and managed Ephors enforced the laws and managed tax collection.tax collection.

They voted on the council’s laws and chose They voted on the council’s laws and chose 5 people to be ephors.5 people to be ephors.

All Spartan men over age 30 belonged All Spartan men over age 30 belonged to the assembly.to the assembly.

Assembly

The Spartans focused on military skills to control the

people they conquered.

Focused Military Training

Spartans Spartans fell fell

behind behind other other

Greeks in Greeks in tradetrade

and they and they knew knew less less

about about science science

and and other other

subjects.subjects.

SpartanSpartans s

soldiers soldiers were were

strong strong and and

swift.swift.

To prevent To prevent questioning of questioning of the Spartan the Spartan system of system of

governmentgovernment

Banned Banned traveltravel abroad abroad for any for any reason reason except except military military

onesones

FrowneFrowned upon d upon citizens citizens

who who studied studied literaturliterature or the e or the

arts.arts.

DiscourageDiscouragedd

foreign foreign visitorsvisitors

Athens lay northeast of Sparta, at least a two-day trip away.Athens lay northeast of Sparta, at least a two-day trip away.

Unlike Spartans, Athenians were more interested in building a democracy than building a military force.

Athenian girls stayed at home and their mothers Athenian girls stayed at home and their mothers taught them spinning, weaving, and other taught them spinning, weaving, and other

householdhousehold duties. duties.

Women married and stayed home to keep Women married and stayed home to keep house and to teach their own daughters.house and to teach their own daughters.

Athenian boys went to school where they learned Athenian boys went to school where they learned reading, writing, math, music, and sports to reading, writing, math, music, and sports to

become well rounded citizens.become well rounded citizens.

At age At age 18,18, boys finished school and boys finished school and became became citizenscitizens..

An assembly of citizens An assembly of citizens existed with few powers existed with few powers and the government and the government was an was an oligarchyoligarchy..

Early Athens Athens after 600 B.C.

Government of AthensMembers of Members of

the assembly the assembly were chosen were chosen by by lotterylottery..

Until the 600’s Until the 600’s B.C., Athens was B.C., Athens was ruled by ruled by landowning landowning noblesnobles..

Athenians rebelled Athenians rebelled against the nobles because against the nobles because many were many were farmersfarmers who who

owed money and had to owed money and had to sell themselves into sell themselves into

slaveryslavery to pay to pay their their debts.debts.

Farmers demanded an Farmers demanded an

end to all debts and land end to all debts and land

for the poor.for the poor.

In 594 B.C. the nobles In 594 B.C. the nobles turned to turned to SolonSolon as a leader. as a leader.

1.

6.

5.

4.

3.

2.

ATHENS: Yesterday & Today

ATHENS: Yesterday & Today

The Acropolis TodayThe Acropolis Today

The ParthenonThe Parthenon

The AgoraThe Agora

OlympiaOlympia

Olympia: Temple to Hera

Olympia: Temple to Hera

The 2004 OlympicsThe 2004 Olympicshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8ztMlmavBw

Solon’s Reforms to

the Government

Canceled Canceled all the all the

farmers farmers debtsdebts..

Refused to Refused to give away give away

the the wealthy wealthy nobles’ nobles’ land.land.

Freed those Freed those who had who had become become slavesslaves..

Allowed all Allowed all malemale citizens to citizens to

participate in the participate in the assembly and assembly and law law

courts.courts.

A A council of 400council of 400 wealthy citizens wealthy citizens wrote the laws wrote the laws

but the assemblybut the assemblyhad to pass themhad to pass them..

Solon, Reformer of Athens

A tyrant named A tyrant named PeisistratusPeisistratus seized seized power in 560 B.C. power in 560 B.C. and won support and won support

of the poor by of the poor by dividing large dividing large estate among estate among

landless farmerslandless farmers..

After After Solon, Solon, there there

were 30 were 30 years of years of turmoil.turmoil.

He also He also loaned loaned

money poor money poor people and people and gave them gave them

jobs in jobs in public public worksworks..

Cleisthenes Cleisthenes came to came to

power in 508 power in 508 B.C. and B.C. and

reorganized reorganized the the

assemblyassembly..

1.

4.

2.

3.

Reforms Reforms of of

CleisthenCleistheneses

Power to Power to debate debate matters matters openly, openly, hear hear court court cases cases and and appoint appoint army army generalgenerals.s.

Gave assembly

power

Although Although women, women, foreign-foreign-born men, born men, and slaves and slaves were were excluded excluded from from votingvoting..

Made Athens a

Democracy

Created a council of

500 citizens

Helped the Helped the assembly assembly carry out carry out daily daily business business such as: such as: proposing proposing lawslaws, , dealing with dealing with foreign foreign countries, countries, and and overseeing overseeing the the treasurytreasury..

The impact of Cleisthenes' reforms was felt almost

immediately, revolutionizing all aspects of Athenian life.

Democracy released unheard of potentials in its citizens and ushered in an age of achievement and

prosperity. What happened to

Cleisthenes after instituting his reforms is, however, a

mystery.