Athens Vs Sparta Oligarchy

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800-323 BCD, Athens and Sparta were the two powerful cites in Greece. Their territories separated by water and land. Although their cities were not too far from each other, yet there was a major different on how they govern there cities. While the Athens was governed by demos, the Spartans were govern by Oligarchy. In this essay, we will explore the structure of their governments, the differences, and the similarities. At the end, both nations left us a unique historical value where other nations of the modern day govern their countries base on the Sparta and the Athens.
The Sparta - Oligarchy
The Sparta government structure was quite simple and less layers than the Athens. All Sparta free males citizens were members of the assembly. The assembly had the power to elect Ephors and the Gerousia. In addition, the assembly passed the laws and decided if the war was warranted. The Ephors and the two kings were the powerful branch as it was referred as the executive branch. The elite elder council (Gerousia) formed with 30 members including the two kings. Other than the kings, the members were 60-year or older, most of the members were wealthy aristocrat. While the Ephors had power to arrange and organize the gathering, the Gerousia decided what matter should be brought up, and the Assembly voted on the said issues. These three branches made up a balance where one could not really do away without the other. As the matter of two kings, Sparta was the nation of warriors. While one king led army to wars, the other stay back to administrate the internal affair. The Sparta citizen was always on the war footing, they did not have the skill to build or to improve living conditions. When the Spartan was defeated by the Theban, that was the end and the Sparta never rises again. The Athens - Democracy Cleisthenes divided the land to ten
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Just the same as the Sparta’s rule, only male citizens were allow to vote or to become a part of the assembly. The elected 500 members had the power to pass the laws. The textbook indicated the aristocrats could rigged the assembly. This will not happen to the Sparta because every male citizen was a part of the assembly. Furthermore, the Athens classified their citizens based on aristocrat status and wealth. To seek high office, the candidates must met specific requirement. Athens male citizens, at least 20 year old may participate by becoming public officers or jurors. Wealthy citizen at 30 or older may seek higher office. Additional of ten positions for generals were also elected to serve a one year term. Once again, the citizen classification came into play. To qualify for the high office position such as generals, the citizen must be wealthy. The un wealthy citizen could only seek the lower level office. The Democratic structure in Athens was more complicated than the Sparta. It also started with male citizen to participate in debated the law and decisions were made in the assembly (Ekklesia). The assembly elected the Magistrates that had the power to apply the law, selected citizen to the Council (Boule) to prepare the law, and selected jurors to the peoples court (Heliaea). The Athenians debated and passed the law, they believed in the equality of the

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