Greek Government Vs Athenian Government Essay

In classical Greece, the different Greek city-states had different forms of government. The city-state of Sparta had an authoritarian government in which it enforced military participation for all males and only the elite class could gain power in the government. Athens on the other hand had a democratic government that allowed everyone to be able to participate in its government despite class standing and did not put their focus on defending the city. The totalitarian government that Sparta had caused life for the people living there to be unpleasant and difficult while the democratic government in Athens gave much more freedom to its citizens and resulted in the people their having a much more pleasant life. Sparta, during the …show more content…
Unlike the people of Sparta, the men were not forced into the military and people were not made slaves for the government. The Athenian people had the choice of whether or not they wanted to defend their city, which made it more of an honorable thing to do than a burden. As Thucydides pointed out in his oration, “There are certain advantages in our way of meeting danger voluntarily. We do not spend our time practicing to meet sufferings which are still in the future; and when they are actually upon us we show ourselves just as brave.” The Athenian men did not have to undergo strict training as the Spartan men did and yet they were just as ready for a battle. Boys were not taken away from their families at a small age and parents were allowed to raise their children the way they wanted to. The Athenian government also welcomed people from foreign countries, which resulted in different cultures and arts being introduced to the city. The people who lived in Athens had a proud cultural life featuring public art and theater. This made life more interesting and fun in Athens in comparison to Sparta. Sparta was hesitant to let people into their country for fear of their military secrets being exposed and this robbed the people of Sparta from experiencing different cultures and the arts that they brought with