Sparta Vs. Athens

Sparta vs. Athens

Desperate times, call for desperate measures, which is exactly what Sparta prepared for. Would you rather be protected in Sparta or defenceless in Athens? Sparta had everything from a strong military to a successful government to equal rights for women. Sparta strived for success and greatness, making it the best city-state in all of Ancient Greece.

The Spartans trained their whole life to become military soldiers and fight. Some may criticize them for doing this, saying that they focused too much on military rather than the intellectual side of life. The ancient times was a very tough period of life. You had to defend yourself or risk being killed. Instead, of spending time on the arts, like the Athenians, the Spartans trained so that they could both defend themselves and attack others. For example, if Athens invented something and the Spartans wanted it all they had to do was march over, fight them and take it. Back then, strength could get you anything that you wanted. This made Spartan society thrive and excel. Whatever Athens had, Sparta could gain with their military strength.

All across Greece, women were treated with no respect, except in Sparta. If you lived in Athens, women would be at home, cleaning the house, and doing whatever their husbands told them to do. In Sparta, young girls went to school to learn how to read and write. Women were also trained physically so that they stayed in good shape, by learning gymnastics. In other Greek city-states, including Athens, women had to remain indoors at all times, unless ordered by their husbands. Although, it was quite different in Sparta, where women had much more freedom to go where they pleased. Sparta was one of the first societies to treat women with a fair amount of respect.

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