2/24/14 west civ notes

Citizens and Communities: The Greek City-States

• Lo3- compare the city-states of Athens and Sparta, describe how Athenian form of democracy operated
• City-State- small towns with a few square miles of surrounding countryside
• Greece was becoming a land split by different city-states and Athens and Sparta were the two main and largest ones
• acropolis- combination of a fortress and a temple precinct
• It was believed by the Greeks that each city-state had their own god to protect them, for an example Athens god was Athena
• Hoplites- soldiers in the Greek army
• soldiers equipped themselves with bronze helmets and armor, round shields, long spears with iron blades and short iron swords
• In the earliest Greek times civilization in city-states were usually monarchies and were ruled by a king
• Soon new types of government began  to form in different city-states, Sparta became an oligarchy, a type of government were a small group of people rule over everyone else
• In large city-states their was usually lots of confusion in power and it would eventually lead to tyranny, a self proclaimed dictator, but the tyranny wouldn't last long and democracy would start to form in these states
• A democracy was used in many states because it allowed the majority of all the men in the state to make all the decisions, the power was given to the people
• The biggest city-state that used this government was Athens
• Athens was more educated and sophisticated and believed in equality, they also welcomed foreigners to their country and had high interest in the music and arts, Sparta was very warlike with a very strict government and liked to isolate themselves from other states
•  During Athens golden age (460-430) which came after the Persian wars when Athens led the Greek city-states to victory, the Athens community was very confident
• This age ended when the Peloponnesian war occurred, this was a war between Athens and Sparta where Sparta was victorious
• Women were treated somewhat fairly an were allowed to be educated
• there were thousands of slaves that were used across Greece they were usually non-Greeks

 

Sparta

• Sparta's government power consisted of a council of elders, two kings or high priests and army commanders, and the people who had the most power was five officials who were elected annually and were called ephors meaning overseers
• All boys were trained through their lives to become a full time hoplite warriors

Athens

• One of the wealthiest and most powerful city-states
• Athens became a trading and manufacturing center throughout the years
• powerful and wealthy descendants of long established Athenian families that traditionally ruled the city sates were called aristocrats