Comparative Essay Example: Sparta and Athens

Athens was focused on culture and the arts, men were even required to have a formal education. Sparta was solely concentrated on their military which resulted in a simple or “nonexistent” culture. They had few similarities and lots of differences. Athens valued culture so that they could advance the technology and achievements of their civilization making it a hotspot for trade and tourists. Sparta valued its military because it wanted to be able to support its growing civilization by conquering surrounding territories. The main sign that Sparta was very advanced in terms of their military was that they were the only city-state with no walls, this showed that they could confront anything head-on and win. They were different in terms of culture and military, but they were similar because, although, Spartans treated women better than Athens in both city-states, women were considered less than men. Athens and 

Spartans saw each other as rivals even though they both were part of Greek culture. The city-states, also known as the polis, were extremely divided. Mainly because of the intense geography that surrounded them. All over the Greece mainland were steep mountains. Around the island was, obviously, lots of water, so that prevented communication between the polis as well. In conclusion, Athens and Sparta were different in many ways, and through this paper, I will show you why and how.

Sparta's strong military was the focus of society, while Athens had other priorities. As stated previously, Spartans developed a strong military so that they could conquer more territory for their constantly expanding civilization and also so they would not have to worry about being attacked or conquered. For these reasons, Spartans trained from extremely young ages in extremely harsh conditions. Spartans were extremely dedicated to their military. "At age seven, Spartan boys were turned over by their parents to the state, where they were organized into companies that lived, studied and trained together." It was also likely that your child would die during his training due to achingly harsh conditions. The reason why Spartan boys started training so young was so that the young boys could be molded into a perfect idealistic example of what a spartan could be. This idealistic example was someone who valued Sparta and the spartan military above all else including their own family. If they started their training later in life their body and mind would not be able to withstand the harsh climate of war without crumbling under the pressure. Another example was, "The boys lived communally under austere conditions. They were subjected to continual physical competitions (which could involve violence), given meager rations and expected to become skilled at stealing food, among other survival skills." The reason why these training conditions were so harsh was that the goal for all Spartans was to be in peak physical condition to serve Sparta as best as possible and to be accustomed to the conditions of war. Compared to Athens, "Not as military-based, and required military service was only two years for citizens. The Navy was the best in the Greek world." In Athens, they prioritized other aspects of society such as arts philosophy, culture, math, science, art, and other creative achievements. The Athenian army was not even comparable to that of the Spartans, but they did have a formidable navy. 

Athens had a rich and developed culture, while Sparta only valued military prowess and simplicity. Athens focused most of their time on developing their mental and creative skills rather than their physical ones. For example, "They brought us democracy, science, philosophy, written contracts, taxes, writing, and schools." We use all of these things in our current American society. They paved the path for future civilizations to come. Athenian men were required to have a formal education which included all the above. Spartans, on the other hand, had no time for art since they put all of their time and power solely on their military. Spartan's culture was "Controlling, traditional, and conservative." Because Sparta did not focus on culture at all, this allowed the Athenians to take the lead in technological advancements and achievements that had to do with brain over brawn.

Both Sparta and Athens treated women as inferior to men, although Athenians treated them more poorly than Spartans. They were treated as inferior because it was a common belief at the time that men were superior to women in terms of intelligence, strength, and most leadership qualities. In Athens, women were considered objects or the property of men. This means a lot because since it was a direct democracy so the only people that represented Athens were men, therefore women had no voice in the government. "Instead of formal education, girls were taught basic and domestically-oriented skills by other females of the family. Girls would learn how to run and care for a household, manage servants and slaves (this applied to wealthy households only), how to weave and sew clothes, and how to cook and raise children. This informal and domestic-centered education meant Athenian women’s lives would most likely revolve around the household with little time left for other activities." In Sparta, women had much more value, they were depended on. Since all the men were away at war, the women had to take care of almost everything. Even though Spartan women still couldn't have a career they still received a formal education and other small benefits. "They received a formal education but did not play any role in the military. However, it was thought that they had to know how to handle weapons and they were encouraged to participate in athletic competitions. To add to their independence, Spartan women were allowed to own and manage their properties. From this sense, they received a legal status that was equal to that of men." So, in conclusion, both city-states treated women as inferior but it would be better as a woman to live in Sparta because you would have more privileges and rights,

Athens and Sparta were drastically different in many ways, and as a result, they had few similarities, and the similarities they did have were simply common beliefs at the time. Athens was focused on culture and the arts, men were required to have a formal education. Sparta was solely concentrated on their military which resulted in a simple or “nonexistent” culture. Even though Sparta treated women better than the Athenians, in both city-states, women were considered less than then men.