Exercises on Sparta and Athens

Explain what the Greek city-states were.

Name and explain the two main characteristics of the city-state Sparta.

Carry out an analysis of Spartan society

Regarding Athenian society, mark the alternative true :

a) It was formed by the citizens, that they had political and economic privileges in the city, concentrating the lands and occupying the main political positions; by the metics, free men who paid taxes and engaged in commerce and crafts; and for the slaves who had no political rights.

b) It was formed by the metics, that they had political and economic privileges in the city, concentrating the lands and occupying the main political positions; by citizens, free men who paid taxes and engaged in commerce and crafts; and for the slaves who had political rights.

c) It was formed by the citizens, who did not have political and economic privileges in the city, by the metics, free men who paid taxes and engaged in commerce and crafts; and for the slaves who had no political rights.

d) Athens was the first Greek city to develop democracy, in which a large part of the population could occupy the main political positions. The metics , for example, had access to land and had great social prestige; the citizens were considered wealthy, but accepted popular participation in city government.

About the Peloponnesian War is correct say that:

a) It was a military confrontation that united Sparta and Athens to face the Persian army that invaded Greek territory.

b) The Peloponnesian War was a confrontation that united the cities of Sparta, Corinth, Megara and Thebes against Athenian rule in the region.

c) Confrontation between the Spartan and Athenian armies with the objective of conquering the Persian empire and the Babylonian empire.

d) Military confrontation in which Athens emerged victorious after a long conflict against the Spartans for the dispute of the Mediterranean Sea.

Also known as Polis , the Greek city-states were cities independent of each other and had their own laws and governments. Among the most famous polis Greeks, stood out Athens and Sparta , who at various times disputed political power in Ancient Greece.

The two main characteristics of Sparta were the militaristic character and oligarchic . Militarist because one of the main objectives was to form models of soldiers who were physically well trained to defend the political interests of the polis. Oligarchic (government by the few) because only a minority of the population (Spartiates) had political rights and access to landed property.

Spartan society was divided into three strata made up of Spartiates ,periecos and hilotas . The Spartans were free men, considered the richest and most powerful in the city, who had economic and political privileges. Born in Sparta to a Spartan father and mother, Spartans paid no taxes and were the only ones who could participate in government bodies and serve in the army. The periecos were also free men, however, they did not have the same privileges as the spartiates. They engaged in commerce, paid taxes and had no rights to participate in the city's political bodies or to join the army. The helots were considered the most submissive in Sparta, as they worked on the lands of the Spartans, where they spent their entire lives cultivating agricultural products. Because they were socially despised, they carried out revolts that were controlled by the young soldiers in training through the cryptias – extermination expeditions carried out to decrease the number of helots in the city.

Letter A. Athenian society was controlled by citizens who were men born in Athens. They enjoyed political privileges and devoted themselves full-time to city government. Politics and philosophy were seen as essential to the life of the Athenian citizen. On the other hand, the metics were free men, however, they were not born in Athens and therefore did not have access to the main political offices. In this way, they engaged in commerce and paid taxes. Athenian slaves were men captured in wars or who were already children of slaves. They had no political rights and were socially despised for performing services that required physical effort.

Letter B. The Peloponnese War happened right after the Medical Wars , in which Spartans and Athenians united to defeat the Persian army. At the end of this conflict, the city of Athens was strengthened and came to have the greatest military and economic power of Ancient Greece. The creation of the League of Delos , with the aim of providing protection to the city-states, served to increase Athens' political influence in the region, and with it, the Spartans became fearful of a possible Athenian invasion by the force they gained. In contrast, under Sparta's leadership, some city-states created the Peloponnese League with the priority of containing the power of the Athenians, which ended up triggering the Peloponnesian War, which lasted 27 years. At the end of the conflict, the Spartans managed to emerge victorious and stopped the political and economic growth of the Athenians.