Athens vs. Sparta
During the times of Ancient Greece, two major forms of government existed, democracy and oligarchy. The city-states of Athens and Sparta are the best representatives of democracy and oligarchy, respectively. The focus of the times was directed towards military capabilities, while the Athenians were more interested in comfort and culture. It was the oligarchy in Sparta that put a war-like attitude as its first priority and best met the needs of Ancient Greece. These factors empowered Sparta and led to the development of an authoritative and potent state. Other contrasting issues included women's rights, social classes, and value of human life. Four rulers, Draco, Solon, Pisistratus, and Cleithenes, greatly influenced the political development of Athens. However, Athenian democracy cannot really be called a true democracy since there were several flaws in the government and the way in which it functioned. Upper class male citizens over the age of thirty were the only Athenians who held any right to vote. The democracy in Athens consisted of an executive, legislative, and judicial branch. Together, nine anchors, a Council of five hundred, an Assembly, and a court chosen by lot governed the city-state with limited power.
Social classes in Athens and Sparta were structured in basically the same way, with an upper class, a lower class consisting of slaves, and a buffer class in the middle. In Athens, citizens held the highest rank, and males were privileged with voting rights while women holding citizenship were still regarded as minors. The non-Athenians, or Metics, worked as merchants or artisans. Though they paid the same taxes as citizens, Metics could never own land or participate in government. Lastly came the slaves who were a necessity to Athens and dependent on their master. Though owning no property and sharing no privileges with the citizens, the law protected the slaves from being treated brutally. The Spartans of highest stature were the citizens, descending from the Dorian invaders. Secondly were the neighbors who worked in commerce and industry. The Helots served as slaves and were sometimes killed when caught defying the government. The Athenian economy depended on foreign trade and travel. Because of Athens' location on the Aegean Sea, sailing increased trade and placed Athenian ships everywhere from the Black Sea to Spain. While trade was a necessity in Athens, there was a law in Sparta that banned all foreign trade and foreign traveling. This kept out foreign ideas and allowed an element of surprise when it came to attacks. However, this law did not affect their economy, which was already self-sufficient.
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Approximate Word count = 1659
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
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