Sparta and Athens

(Originally written September 5, 2006 in Book 5)

The Classical Mind
W.T. Jones

Chapter Two: Education through Violence

Thucydides, a 5th century BC Greek historian stated, "War is a teacher who educates through violence, and he makes men's characters fit their condition" (Jones, 40).

The Peloponnesian War (Athens v. Sparta) has economic rivalry undertones with heavy ideological conflicts headlining it.

Sparta: An Athenian Estimate

Sparta was different than the rest of Greece. That difference was because of the laws written by the mythical Lycurgus.

Women were trained physically in Sparta so as to rear stronger children.

Marriage began as an illicit affair in Sparta to inspire deep longing in the man and woman. Men were punished for being caught meeting with their wife. Marriage was to be pursued only during the vigorous time in life.

Education of the young was not to be done privately (as all of Greece did) but by the Guardian class: The Paidonomos.

Homosexuality was a major part in the education of boys.

Community meals were important in Spartan society.

Sparta was not a society concerned with making money. It was a precursor of communism.

Sparta was ruled by an oligarchy (or rather, timocracy).

Sparta produced the best soldiers in all of Greece.

The warrior class ruled a large serf class.

Athens

Athens was a democracy: all the free male citizens voted at meetings to establish the final rulings of the State.

It was a pure democracy, not a representative democracy like the US.

The democracy was at times dominated by the aristocratic and wealthy families in a sort of intimidator way.

Athens expands to an empire through their vast wealth. Their 'colonies' paid tribute to Athens.

The Spartans incited revolution in the Athenian controlled tributaries.