Spartan Government Vs Athenian Government Essay

Writing Assignment

Using material from the reading, answer the following questions.

How did people in Athens obtain the right to participate in public life and make decisions affecting the community? Who held public office?

During the archaic period, power and wealth was concentrated in the hands of the aristocratic class, a small group of wealthy landowners. Wealthy aristocrats came to monopolize the best land and political power. Small farmers fell into debt to aristocrats and were forced to sell their land or even themselves into slavery.

Later, Solon divided the Athenian population by wealth and made it possible for wealthy but non-aristocratic

Athenian men to have more say in the political system and even stand for public office. The Athenian

 Their purpose was to terrorize the Helots into submission.

How were the two city-states similar in their governmental structures? How did they differ?

Similarities between Athen's and Sparta's Government structures:

 Both Athens and Sparta accepted free-man as their main participants in their government.

 Neither Athens or Sparta give women or slaves equal participation in their government and were not considered to be free.

 Both had a strong military and engaged all of its citizens in war.

 Both governments were formed by wealth status with the richest members of their populations holding highest political offices.

Differences between Athen's and Sparta's Government structures

 Athen's government structure was considered to be a democracy.

 Spartan's government structure was considered to be an oligarchy.

 Sparta enrolled all of its men in a life-time servitude to the military.

 Athens had a people's court, giving its citizens the right to participate in its legislative process.

 In Sparta, the Ephors and Gerousia members decided its laws and there was no outside members that participated in the legislative