and independent city-states called the Polis. Through Polis, each state was allowed to form its own rules and govern its people. States such as Athens and Sparta evolved into Greek Polis, and they developed their own unique systems that significantly impacted Greek history. The Spartan developed into a military state, oligarchy, where they completely focus on military training and excellence. In contrast to Sparta, Athens formed a democracy which united the entire city and allowed all free male citizens to participate in state affairs. Through Democracy, men of Athens were more involved in state affairs compared to men of Sparta. The two states created their…
Kipling described the popular belief that Asia and Europe greatly differed in culture.How great are the differences between these lands? Specifically, Classical Athens and Han China. There are not a lot of great differences between them in the way the the government was run, social class, or in political views. Classical Athens had a democracy, while Han China had an empire. In document 5, it explains that in the government, “ The first true democracy in history,” any Citizen could attend the…
Athens and Sparta are the two most well known poleis of ancient Greece and each was known for the structure of its society. In this essay I will discuss how people in those societies obtained the right to participate in public life and make community decisions, identify who held public office, and how public office holders were elected. How those two societies were similar and how they differed will also be discussed throughout this essay. Both Athens and Sparta had a societal structure based…
The people of Athens and Sparta participated in public life in very different ways due to the differences in their social structures. Each had very different histories and events that led to two distinct versions of democracy within Greece in which different classes of people were able to participate at certain levels. “Sparta was a warrior society…and only warriors participated in political life” (Brand, 1). Their was certainly a strict social order with the Helots, or slaves and serfs,…
or not Classical Athens under the rule of Pericles was a true democracy has been a subject for controversy. Some historians argue that Pericles was an elected ruler and that Athens was “ruled by her first citizen” instead of by the people while others argue that Athens was a true democracy based on the actions of the Athenian city-state and the way their government was set up . However, Athens under the rule of Pericles should be considered a democracy for several reasons. These reasons…
“The lives of women in Classical Athens” chapter from Sue Blundell’s Women in Ancient Greece describes how females in Athens lived during the Classical Period, from infancy to elderliness. The Classical Period marked the height of Greek society, from incredible feats of art and architecture to the rise of Alexander the Great and the continued building of an enormous empire. This chapter explores the lives of women in Athens, perhaps the most powerful city-state in Greece. Blundell focuses…
hugs her child, then lays it in the weeds, looks back at the sound of its wailing, wipes her tear and goes on alone” (Doc. O). Since at this time in China many people were in the lower classes one can assume that it was normal that woman had left her child to die because she would not have been able to raise it and keep it living for long. Similarly in Classical Athens the father could decide if his baby would be exposed in the public to die. He would choose based on on the baby’s weakness or…
Through the growth and development of the Archaic Era what followed was the period of development known as “Classical Greece”. Between the time of 480 and 323 BCE Athens and Sparta ruled the Hellenic world with their artistic and military accomplishments. Along with the participation of the other Hellenic states, Athens and Sparta, rose to power through their associations, restructurings, and successions of triumphs against the conquering Persian armies. Only after a long and revolting war,…
Along with Parthenon, many other temples were built honoring King’s and goddesses which as a whole made up Acropolis the world renowned temple complex. During the classical age, it was also the age of drama. They created plays and tragedies written by people like Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides. They were meaningful, funny and sad but the importance is that they stand as references to fifth century events. The Greeks were the first people to believe they could learn from past mistakes,…
and its surrounding areas, the majority of which were relatively small.Although, it seems that the term polis is most commonly associated with the largest Greek city-states, Athens and Sparta. While the modern word “politics” was derived from Greek term polis, this system served as much more than a political unit (Spielvogel 60). The polis was also a social, economic, cultural, and religious center which solved the problems of the Dark Ages, made the Classical Age possible, and allowed large,…