Guiding Question
What different systems of government did Sparta and Athens have?
Sparta developed an oligarchy built around two kings, ephors, and a council of elders, while Athens moved toward a democracy centered on a citizen assembly and a council of 500.
Sparta vs. Athens: Quick Comparison
| Feature | Sparta | Athens |
|---|---|---|
| Government Type | Oligarchy: 2 kings, 5 ephors, council of elders, citizen assembly (votes, no debate). | Democracy: Council of 500 proposes laws, citizen assembly debates and passes them. |
| Social Focus | Military state; strict discipline; control of helot serfs. | Trade, politics, and reform; gradual widening of citizen power. |
| Main Non‑Citizen Labor | Helots (conquered Laconians and Messenians forced to work the land). | Slaves and non‑citizen residents (metics) in crafts and trade. |
| Women’s Role | More freedom at home; expected to stay fit and manage estates. | Primarily domestic roles; no formal political rights. |
Short Timeline (Only What You Need)
Key People (Very Short Bios)
Draco
A lawgiver who wrote Athens’s first written law code. His laws were extremely strict and allowed people who could not pay debts to be sold into slavery.
Solon
A reform-minded aristocrat given full power to solve Athens’s crisis. He cancelled land debts, freed people enslaved for debt, and opened more offices to non‑elite citizens, but he did not divide up land for the poor.
Peisistratus
An aristocrat who seized power as a tyrant. He helped trade to please merchants and took land from aristocrats to give to peasants, gaining support from the poor until his family was overthrown.
Cleisthenes
A reformer backed by the Athenian people. He created a Council of 500 to handle foreign affairs and finances and gave the citizen assembly final power to pass laws, laying the basis for democracy.
Spartan Kings & Ephors
Two hereditary kings led the army and shared power with five ephors, officials elected yearly who supervised education and the behavior of citizens and could even check the kings.
Lesson 2 Review – Answers in Text
1. Meanings of Polis, Acropolis, Agora
- Polis: A Greek city-state, a community with its own government, army, and laws.
- Acropolis: The fortified high area of a polis, often on a hill, used for temples and as a refuge during attacks.
- Agora: The open area used as a marketplace and a place where citizens could meet, talk, and deal with public life.
2. Greek Exports and Imports
From their colonies and through trade, Greeks exported goods like olive oil, wine, pottery, and metalwork. They imported grain (to feed growing populations), timber for building, metals such as iron and copper, and sometimes slaves, which they used in agriculture and workshops.
3. How City-States Were Organized
Each polis was a small, independent political unit with its own laws, army, and government. It included a city, surrounding countryside, an acropolis for defense and worship, and an agora for trade and meetings. Citizens (free men) shared a sense of identity and loyalty to their polis, not to Greece as a whole.
4. How Greeks Spread Culture and Political Ideas
Between about 750 and 550 BCE, Greeks created colonies around the Mediterranean and Black Sea. These colonies kept Greek language, religion, and customs, and traded constantly with their home cities. As they traded goods, they also spread Greek pottery, art styles, religious practices, and ideas about government, such as councils, assemblies, and written laws, to other peoples.
5. Different Governments in Sparta and Athens
Sparta had an oligarchy. Two kings led the army, but real power was shared with a council of elders and five ephors, and a citizen assembly that voted without debate. Athens started as an aristocracy, then went through Draco’s harsh laws and Solon’s reforms, and finally, under Cleisthenes, it became a democracy. In this democracy, a Council of 500 prepared laws, and a citizen assembly of men debated and voted on them.
6. Persuasive Essay Idea (Which Is Better?)
You could argue that Athens’s system was better because it allowed more citizens to participate in government and encouraged trade, culture, and debate, which made the polis flexible and innovative. Sparta’s system was strong for war and control of helots, but its strict military focus limited freedom, discouraged new ideas, and depended on the forced labor of others. A government that lets citizens share power and solve problems together is more likely to adapt and last.
Built‑In Flashcards (Click to Flip)
Use these cards to quiz yourself on key ideas from Lesson 2.