The City States

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Athens Sparta

What is a Polis?

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What is a City-State?

Which of these places are city-states, or polises?

The idea of citizenship was

developed in the Greek city states.

Polis: City State, similar to a tiny, independent country

Every polis had a main gathering area, usually safe from invaders and atop a hill. This area was called an acropolis.

The acropolis was also a religious center to honor the gods and goddesses of Greek culture.

The Polis

What did the center of the polis look like?

Click to find out.

Click to enlarge!

Only men were free citizens in Athens. Women: Athenian women could not inherit or

own much property. They could not vote or attend the Assembly. Most could not even choose their own husbands.

Slaves: There were many slaves in ancient Athens. Most Athenians who weren’t poor owned at least one slave. Some people were born into slavery. Others were forced into slavery as captives of war.

Athenian Citizenship

Named after the Goddess, Athena Location: Central Greece

Only 4 miles away from Aegean Sea Birthplace of Democrac y A people of travelers

Click to see the map of Athens

Athens

Life In Athens

Democracy Blooms

Economy

Where is Athens?To proceed, click the map

Ruled by land-owning nobles (oligarchy)

during the 600s BCE Becomes a democracy in 500 BCE Only free men can participate in politics (over

18)

Democracy Grows in Athens

Council of 500

Council of 500: in Athens,

a group of 500 citizens (men) chosen to form a council responsible for running the day-to-day business of government

Met every single day! Must be 30+ years Come up with ideas for laws,

but only ideas the ideas then go to the Assembly of Athens

Council of 500

School Life in Athens

Boys became citizens, so they went to Athenian Schools- Students learned

reading, writing, arithmetic

- Sports- Music: Lyre

Belief: Boys should have a healthy body and intelligent mind

Military training age 18

Stayed at home- Learned how to “keep

house” spinning, weaving, cooking

- Few of wealthy were sent to school and learned how to play the Lyre

- Wealthy: arranged marriages around age 15

- Poor: more choice in marriage

Boys Girls

How would life for boys

and girls be different today?

Athenian Economy

Economy based on trade Sold: Honey, olive

oil, silver, beautifully painted pottery

Bought: lettuce, onions, foods, furniture, clay oil lamps

Agora: the marketplace where merchants sold goods

What about citizenship in

Athens?

Located on a hill for Fortification (400 ft)

Temple for worship and central cityactivities

Dramatically different from Athens Emphasis on military power and physical strength

Sparta

Life in Sparta

Spartan Governme

nt

Economy

Click to see a map

Spartan Map

Boys Girls

School Life in Sparta

Boys grew up with one goal: to be a brave soldier- Begin training for battle

at age 7, and no retiring from military training until 60!

- In school, you learned how to suffer without complaining

Girls also learned military training at age 7- Wrestling- Boxing- Racing and gymnastics

How did life differ for adults?

Oligarchy The Council of Elders 2 most important things to the Oligarchs:

Military power Keeping the oligarchy in place

Spartan Government

Council of Elders: small group of Spartans who made all the important

governing decisions

-- at least 60 years old-- Men only

-- Noble heritage/Aristocrats-- Served for life

Simple life – no decorations, plain clothing What matters most: Strength, health

Spartan Life

Spartan women actually had more rights than most

Greek women, because husbands were usually out

at war.

Women could own property and marry someone else if their husband was away for a long time in war.

Sometimes Spartans declared war on rebellious,

unruly helots (don’t know what a helot is yet? Click here

).

Some helots could marry whomever they wanted, sell crops, and pass their

name along future generations.

Relied on farming and conquests of other

people Fertile soil, but not a lot of it Took land from neighboring city-states and

villages Conquered villagers became slaves called

helots Discouraged trade so that Spartans would

not receive new ideas that could weaken the government.

Spartan Economy

If you’re not Spartan, and

you’re in Sparta…watch out.

Helots Allowed to live in

own villages Give almost all food

grown to Sparta

Helots and Noncitizens

Non-Citizens Free, but not Spartan May participate in

military…but no government.

Creators of shoes, soldiers’ cloaks, iron tools like knives, spears; pottery

1. What is a city-state?

2. How did you see governments in the city-states?

3. Who are these two figures in the picture? By looking at the cartoon to the left, what predictions can you make about what will happen when these cultures interact?

Parting Thoughts