Athens and Sparta

Warring City-States

• Polis- fundamental political unit, made up of a city and the surrounding country side; politics (affairs of the cities), policy, political etc. 
• Monarchy- rule by a single person 
• Aristocracy- rule by a small group of noble, rich, land owning families
• Oligarchy- wealthy groups, dissatisfied with the aristocratic ruler who seized power (often with military help)
• Tyrant- powerful individual who seized power by appealing to the common people to gain support
• During the sixth and seventh century, Aristocrats ruled much of Greece

Building Democracy in Athens

• Nobleman named Draco took power
• In 621 B.C., he developed a legal code based on equality of all peoples under law
• He also made the death punishment a punishment for all crimes
• He upheld things like debt slavery
• Solon who reformed took power in 594 B.C.
• He outlawed debt slavery
• Organized four economical classes
• Only top three classes could hold office, but all four classes could vote
• Any citizen can press charges against a wrongdoer
• In 500 B.C., Athenian leader Cleisthenes took power
• he made ten provinces, political office was chosen at random, and a counsel of five-hundred voted on/proposed laws, only free adult males that were property owners could be citizens, citizens could make laws, women, slaves and foreigners had very little rights
• Draconian- unnecessarily harsh

Education

• Only rich boys went to school
• School began at age 7, and prepared them for life
• They learned about reading, grammar, poetry, history, mathematics, and music
• Since they did a lot of debating and public speaking in politics, they took logic and public speaking courses
• They took athletics for physical activity and went to military school for training
• Athenian girls learned about child rearing, weaving clothes, preparing meals, managing households, and other skills that made them good wives/mothers
• They were taught by their mother or other females in the household

Sparta Builds a Military State

• Contrast sharply with other city-states
• 725 B.C.- Sparta conquered region of Messiana (Helots) and demanded that half of all of the Helots' crop yield will be given to them
• 650 B.C.- the Helots revolted, out numbered them 8:1, which inclined Sparta to become less vulnerable
• Spartan government had many branches
• All citizens voted
• 30 elders (council of elders) proposed laws
• Five elected officials carried out laws
• Two kings controlled and ran the military
• There were three social classes; 1- rich, owned land 2- non citizens who were free 3- Helots and slaves
• Due to their militaristic society, they tended to disregard arts and literature
• Men were centered around military training
• At the ages of 7-30 they lived in barracks, which was comprise of marching, exercising, and fighting
• The army barracks were very difficult and uncomfortable to live in
• Girls received some military training, they ran, wrestled, and played sports
• They put Sparta above all like the guys
• They had freedom
• Prices in weaponry decreased and armies made up of working class individuals called phalanx started to pop up    

Persian War

• Greece vs. Persian Empire
• Fought in Ionia, near the coast of Anatolia
• Greeks had long been settled there, but in 546 B.C., they were conquered by the Persian Empire
• 490 B.C.- Persian fleet of 25,000 went up against Athenian army of 10,000
• Persian Empire lost 6,000 and the Athenian army lost less than 200
• Army runner Pheidpippides brought the news of them conquering the Persian Empire, but then collapsed and died
• 480 B.C.- Xerxes, son of Darius the Great built an army to crush Athens, many Greek city-states joined him and he thought he would make it through Greece very easily
• At Thermopylae, 7,000 Greeks, including 300 Spartans stopped him for three days
• A traitor told him of a secret path that would get them out of the predicament, and 6,700 of the Greeks fled, but the 300 Spartans stayed an died trying to stop them
• After an idea proposed by Themistocks, Athens fought on water near Salamer
• After burning Athens, the Persian ships all sank because of their large size (Athens also fought back)