Transcript Athens-vs-Sparta

Athens vs. Sparta
Greek Civilizations
Athens
 Athenian Direct Democracy
– All citizens (males over 18) were equal before the court and
participated in governmental activities & voting
 Not allowed citizenship & voting rights
– Slaves needed their master’s permission to marry or have
children.
– Women were their husband’s property
– Foreign residents (metics) could not vote
 Elements of democracy
– Assembly met every 10 days
– Passed laws, elected officials & made decisions on war & peace
Sparta
Totalitarianism-form of government that
uses force and power to rule a people.
Oligarchy- Rule by a few (generals/kings)
3 groups existed:
– Slaves (Helots)
– Spartan Females- could own property
– Spartan Males- raised by the state from the age
of seven.
Quotes
Read the following quotes and decide if
they better reflect the Athenian or Spartan
civilizations
Do you recognize the authors?
Quotation #1
“The fundamental motif through all the centuries has
been the principle that force and power are the
determining factors. All development is a struggle.
Only force rules. Force is the first law….Only through
struggle have states and the world become great. If
one should ask whether this struggle was gruesome,
then the only answer could be-for the weak, yes, for
humanity as a whole, no. Instead of everlasting
struggle, the world preaches cowardly pacifism, and
everlasting peace. These three things, considered in
the light of their ultimate consequences, are the causes
of the downfall of all humanity.”
Quotation #2
“We hold these truths to be self evident, that
all men are created equal, that they are
endowed by the Creator with certain
unalienable Rights (life,liberty and the
pursuit of happiness), that to secure these
rights Governments are instituted among
Men, deriving their just powers from the
consent of the governed.”