athens vs sparta

In the beginning Athens was ruled by an aristocratic government. This did not work very well so they moved towards a democracy. The reason the form of government was changed was because the citizens of Athens especially the farmers, were not pleased with the way the economy was forcing them into debt. The debt was so severe that many had to sell themselves and family as slaves to pay them off. The public then appointed another leader who implemented many reforms that outlawed debt slavery and many other downsides of the previous government. The new ruler even encouraged the export of wine and olive oil to help increase demand for products.

One of the main ways they were similar though was in their form of government. Both Athens and Sparta had an Assembly, whose members were elected by the people. Sparta was ruled by two kings, who ruled until they died or were

The peoples of Athens were not as concerned about having the most powerful military in the region but they were interested in creating a society that was competent in many aspects not just the physical. In Athens the young boys of the state were entitled to an education if their family could afford it. The curriculum was comprised of studying music, poetry, reading and writing. They also were taught to be skilled public speakers because they would have to be able to voice their views in their democratic government. The citizens of Athens did care about physical fitness so they enrolled the young men in military training and athletic contests.

Although the Spartans lived extremely healthily, I believe that intelligence and education helped Athens more than brawn helped Sparta. As such, the Athenian outlook on life was more beneficial than the Spartan for the people and for the city-state as a whole. Better education allowed the Athenians to make better choices and it made it easier for all Athenians to contribute to their city-state. The result was a large amount of creative architecture and philosophy distinguished Athens from all the other city-states.

One way that Athens and Sparta really differed was in their idea of getting along with th

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