... was provided by slaves, which freed the male citizens to serve in the army. Spartan boys were all trained to serve in the military as professional soldiers, with individual and family needs subordinated to the needs of the state. The Athenian Empire was a more voluntary alliance of city-states that were impressed by the Athenian Navy's prowess in the Persian War ... Donald Kagan expanded on this point. First, he noted that the plan lacked credibility. Pericles asked Athenians to passively hide behind the walls and watch the Spartan Army level their farms and homes. He asked them to tole...

• Word Count: 1765
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: Undergraduate