Athens Vs Sparta

An individual living in Greece in the 5th century B.C.E would be better off as a citizen of Athens than as a citizen of Sparta.
During this time, Athens was swimming in cash. Where did they get all this money from? Athens got all of it from the Delian League. At first the league was created so that if Persia chose to ever attack again Greece would be ready. City-states apart of the Delian League would have to give contributions. This would typically be either money, men, or ships. The dilean seemed like a great idea until Athens took it over. They did this by moving the treasury to Athens itself. Athens used the money for the people, rebuilding all the destroyed buildings in Athens and building walls around the city and the ports. Athens also got a lot of money through trade. They city was very open to trade with other places. Pericles talks about this, he says, “Our city is open to the world”. Athens does not fear visitors, spy or tourist for if a threat arises there powerful army will stop it. …show more content…
Sparta has an army that is also strong but the Athenian army is stronger, even if the spartans spent most of their lives training the young to become soldiers. Pericles talks about this and says, “I think, in our way of meeting danger voluntarily, with an easy mind, instead of with a laborious training, with natural rather than with state-induce courage.” What Pericles is saying is that Athens’ army is not trained from birth, and taught how to be courageous like the Spartans, but instead the army is full of volunteers who are just a equally strong if not stronger, just as brave if not more brave, and all of this comes naturally to them. Since Athenians didn’t spend their lives training for war they did other things to occupy