Was Athens Better Than Sparta

An important part of being “the best version of you” means getting an advanced well rounded

the idea of representative government began to take root in some city states, specifically Athens. Athenian reformers moved toward democracy, rule by the people. In Athens citizens participated directly in political decision making. However there were limitations on citizenship to ensure that only the most rational people were able to vote. Through the construction of democracy in Athens, equality of all citizens became greater, and the city would become the top democracy of all the democracies.

Sparta had set up two Kings for Polis. Although the Spartans were strong, the Gerousia and Ephors were positions they needed to uphold to become political to create any change in society. Yes, the Spartan had a strong military which made for powerful soldiers, but the real control was in the hands of becoming an Ephor, for the non-aristocratic Spartans, (Brand, n.d.). This was the only way those Spartans could be involved in politics. Aristocratic Spartans were Gerousia.

However Greece’s influences are far superior than that of Rome’s due to Greece’s nurturing influence on great philosophers such as Socrates and Plato. Socrates is a superior philosopher due to his “job” of being Athens social gadfly. Socrates made the Athenian people more self-critical and aware about the government by asking questions such as: what is justice, what is truth, what is love, and what is knowledge. Questions that Socrates asked are still being asked today due to minimal evolution in human ideas. Socrates also taught other great philosophers such as Aristophanes, Xenophon, and Plato.

“War songs were their only music, and their literary education was light.” (Source 1) Additionally, literature such as the Iliad and the Odyssey by Homer taught young men about the heroic ideal and striving for arête, which means determination for excellence. Education benefitted the people, because it allowed them to be successful in art and war, and it also created unification in terms of all classes having at least a basic education. In addition it helped to create a strong economy and

“Our form of government does not enter into rivalry with the institutions of others. Our government does not copy our neighbors ', but is an example to them. It is true that we are called a democracy, for the administration is in the hands of the many and not of the few,” stated Pericles when describing the government that he had shaped. Pericles believed in involving all of the population in government decisions, leading to a time of prosperity. In the Age of Pericles, from 491 BCE to his death in 429 BCE, Athens thrived.

A pure democracy is defined as a type of government where the population determines all political policies directly. The majority vote always wins. Although this may sound fair, pure democracies allow the majority to tyrannically reign over the minority; this could be applied to ethnic groups as well as states. With the Electoral College, smaller states are

The United States Government can be described in two ways. There is unified government, which appears when the President and both houses of congress share the same party. Divided government is the opposite, it occurs when one party controls the white house, and another party controls one or more houses of Congress. A unified government should seem to be more productive because enacting laws would be much easier. A bill has to pass through both houses of congress as well as the president before it can be an official law.

I, Cristel Funes believe that the people have the most power according to the Constitution. Since the people vote, that means the country, and laws are in the hands of the people . “We the People” means that the people are in control of the government, not that the government is in charge of the people. I think that things like voting, The Bill of Rights, and the Preamble make it clear that the People have the most power. “ We the People” - the preamble

They unbound city-states in Greece. Although Athens seemed to be on top, by having all they needed power, money, etc. However, Sparta rose and conquered the enemy and was honored for doing

Athens organized a group of Greek city states into the Delian League and eventually lead and dominated all of the city states in the League. Athens’s military prowess allowed them to look down on the other members of the League and treat them as members of an empire instead of equals. This caused some to view them with hostility which sparked the conflicts between Athens and Sparta that lead to the Peloponnesian War. The direct democracy of Athens wasn’t actually as inclusive and steady as the statement at Pericles 's funeral state, “Our Constitution is called a democracy because power is in the hands not of a minority but of the whole people (Doc C).” In fact, of the 450,000 citizens of Athens in 430 BC, only about 40,000 people had the power to vote.

Athens and Sparta are individually a single unit, but they have differences that set them apart. Athens has numerous social classes in it’s government, they are known for their strong navy, they have democratic values, and Athens has a bigger population than Sparta. Sparta only has three social classes, they are known for their strong army, which consists of the best and most feared fighters on land, and they have militaristic values. There is a debate on which polis is superior, Athens or Sparta. Athens and Sparta are both well-developed societies, however, Sparta stands out as the superior polis because Spartan women have more rights, education was distributed equally among boys and girls in Sparta, and Sparta had a strong and united culture.

However, in (insert date), something close to a miracle occurred. The long and bitter rivalry between these city-states ceased for a time and became united. What caused this change? The arrival and threat of a huge empire called Persia. Persia extended from the eastern border of Greece to the eastern border of the present day Middle East.

Now starting off with Greece, who was the first city to ever have a democracy. Their democracy didn’t give as much power to the people but they did inspire other cities. During Rome’s spreading power, Judeo-Christianity began rising. Rome’s democracy was a republic, which meant their political power depended on the people governing. Everybody wanted to be a Roman Citizen because they had the most power.

Democracy is where the government is ruled by a LARGE group of people, normally citizens. The Ancient Greeks have influenced our world so much, our government, our beliefs, and so much more! Without them, we wouldn’t be where we are today. The Greeks made myths to explain the unknown, creating the myths we know today.