What Are the Similarities and Differences Between

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ANCIENT GREECE

Enquiry Grid 2:

What are the similarities and differences between

democracy in ancient Athens and democracy today?

Spartan Life

Objectives: To understand what democracy meant in ancient Athens and what it means today. To compare what it meant to be a citizen in Athens with what it means to be a citizen in our country. This would be a good follow up discussion to the Key Stage 2 unit on Citizenship.

Materials: Athens Explore and Challenge, local government websites

Vocabulary: democracy, citizen, responsibility, metic, slave

Ask children to recap on who represents people in their community and how those people are chosen. Ask the children to find out who can choose these representatives (most local government boroughs have advice on who is eligible to vote on their websites). The children can then fill in the first three questions in the enquiry grid under the section ‘Democracy in our country’.

Now ask them to compare this with ancient Athens. The three key questions are: who represents the people, how are the representatives chosen and who can choose these representatives. For each of these questions they should fill in the relevant section of the enquiry grid.

As a class you can now discuss the differences between democracy now and in ancient Athens. Children can then fill in this section on their worksheet. Discuss whether Athens really was a democracy since so many people were excluded from the vote.

Extension activity:

The children could have a debate on which democratic system is better and why.

Background Information

You may find the following Background Information sheets found on www.ancientgreece.co.uk useful for this activity:

Forms of Government

Questions / Democracy in our country / Democracy in ancient Athens
Who represents the people?
How are the representatives chosen?
Who can choose the representatives?
Similarities
Differences

Key background information

Sparta was one of the strongest city-states in Greece.

Was ruled by 2 kings at a time and a Council of 30 elders, who were all citizens over the age of 60.

In the archaic period, Sparta produced fine art and literature.

Was a military state.

Had a key role in defeating Persia.

Defeated Athens in the Peloponnesian War and was then at the height of her power.

Made a treaty with Persia, the ‘King’s Peace’, in 386 BC.

Was defeated by Thebes in 371 BC, never regained supremacy.

Life for men

Spartan boys left their families at 7 to be trained to become part of the full-time professional army.

Had very strict education and training.

Boys were not well fed and punished if caught stealing food.

Boys were encouraged to fight each other but not in anger.

Cowardice was seen almost as a crime.

Spartan education put emphasis on physical fitness.

Boys were taken to the sanctuary of Artemis Orthia to be flogged to show their

toughness and endurance.

The training of males was divided into age groups and called the agôgê (upbringing):

Boys 7- 17 learned reading, writing, dancing and singing; also tough physical education

Older boys, 18-19, trained for the army and in survival techniques.

Youths, 20-29, underwent rigorous military training as part of the standing army.

Young adults, 30+, were full citizens and expected to marry.

A man had to remain in his barracks until he was 30 and if he married (could marry from the age of 20) he had to visit his wife in secrecy.

All adult men belonged to ‘messes’- small groups that met and dined together and were housed in individual ‘men’s houses’.

All citizens were hoplites.

Life for women

Women received an education and physical training.

Physical training made them fit and strong so they would have healthy babies (to become good soldiers).

Physical training probably focused on gymnastics, choral song and dance.

Xenophon says that the legendary law-giver Lycurgus thought wool-working and the related sedentary life found in other states were best left to slave women: the activity was traditionally disdained by Spartan women.

The Perioikoi

(Free, non-Spartans of Laconia and Messenia)

Had to provide military service to the Spartans

Did not have the privileges of citizenship (e.g. member of the Spartan assembly, able to be a magistrate).

Were involved with the management of trade and manufacture, as Spartans not allowed to be engaged in trade.

The Helots

(The ‘serf’ population)

Were Greeks of the area around Sparta that were defeated in war by the Spartans.

Were owned by Spartans as a whole (not by individuals).

The magistrates (ephors) declared war on them annually as constant fear of revolt.

They provided most of the agricultural produce for the rest of the population.

Those of Messenia took part in regular revolts.

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