Athens and Sparta were bitter enemies. Despite sharing the Greek peninsula, the same gods and goddesses and even fighting together in the Persian war they had little else in common. As powerful city-states they developed very different societies, thought they were only about 150 miles apart. Athens became a center for philosophy whereas as Sparta was more war-like in nature. Overall, Athens had a more democratic government, a trade based economy, and a more open society than Sparta which focused on agriculture and isolated themselves from other nations. First of all, Athens had a democratic government whereas Sparta had a mixed government system. In Athens, status was based on merit not class. Athens wanted good citizens, regardless of their wealth, to participate in public life; otherwise, you were considered worthless. As Pericles stated in his Funeral Oration,“For we alone regard the man who does not take part in public affairs, not as one who minds his own business, but as good for nothing” (Doc 3). The value Athenians placed on public service was the backbone of their direct democracy. For example, Athenian men voted for public leaders were expected to be formally educated so they could make wise decisions.. Without the active participation of the populace, the
…show more content…
They were both located on the Greek peninsula. You would think that the two nations would have more in common besides language and religion. Athens had a more democratic government, a trade-based economy, and a more open society than Sparta which focused on agriculture and isolated themselves from other nations. How is it that two city-states so similar in location were so different in government, economy, and culture? No matter how much the two nations fought, the important thing is that when they had a common enemy they came together to defeat the Persian empire, fighting Persia as Greece, not as Athens and
They were both located on the Greek peninsula. You would think that the two nations would have more in common besides language and religion. Athens had a more democratic government, a trade-based economy, and a more open society than Sparta which focused on agriculture and isolated themselves from other nations. How is it that two city-states so similar in location were so different in government, economy, and culture? No matter how much the two nations fought, the important thing is that when they had a common enemy they came together to defeat the Persian empire, fighting Persia as Greece, not as Athens and