How did daily life differ between Athens and Sparta?

How did daily life differ between Athens and Sparta?

The main difference between Athens and Sparta is their government, economy, and society. Athenian society, which was based on trade, valued art and culture and was ruled under a form of democracy. Spartan society, on the other hand, was a militant society whose economy was based on farming and conquering.

What was life like for a Spartan child?

The boys lived in barracks and were often beaten to make them tough. They were given little to eat in order to get used to what life would be like when they went to war. The boys were encouraged to fight one another. When the boys turned 20 they entered into the Spartan army.

What was the life of a male Spartan like?

The boys endured harsh physical discipline and deprivation to make them strong. The older boys willingly participated in beating the younger boys to toughen them. Self-denial, simplicity, the warrior code, and loyalty to the city-state governed their lives. Spartan children were taught stories of courage and fortitude.

What was daily life in Athens like?

Ancient Athenians had to eat, of course as well. It was only natural that the majority of them made their living and put food on the table from farming. Citizens often owned land outside the city which provided their income. The Greek landscape and climate, however, made farming a difficult endeavor.

Why is Sparta a good place to live?

These soldiers than stayed and fought until they were 60 so the army was always ready to go to war (Spielvogel, 2006). This made Sparta one of the safest cities to live in. Secondly, in Sparta girls were able to learn a lot more than in other places. Spartan girls were not taught just by their mothers like in Athens.

How did the Spartans eat?

Spartans primarily ate a soup made from pigs’ legs and blood, known as melas zōmos (μέλας ζωμός), which means “black soup”. According to Plutarch, it was “so much valued that the elderly men fed only upon that, leaving what flesh there was to the younger”. It was famous amongst the Greeks.

What was life like for a girl in Athens?

When they married, Athenian women had two main roles: to bear children, and to run the household. The ideal Athenian woman did not go out in public or interact with men she was not related to, though this ideology of seclusion would only have been practical in wealthy families.

What was life like for a child in Sparta?

Like most ancient cultures, life in Sparta varied based on whether you were a male or a female. Between ages five and seven, boys would be examined. Unhealthy children would be killed, and healthy children would be taken from their parents to live in military barracks to begin their training.

What did the Spartan people do for fun?

Whether the Spartan citizen was involved in dancing, athletics, hunting or attending a festival or banquets, the Spartan people would give one hundred percent. In ancient Sparta, athletics was a massive part of life. Young and old, male or female, athletics would be something that everyone in Sparta would be involved in.

What did the Spartan diet look like?

The Spartan diet was also simple. Spartans ate many of the same things as other Greeks, including grapes, olives, figs, honey, and wheat, but they were given small rations in order to remain physically fit. Being close to the sea, fish was an important part of the diet as well.

How did the Spartan government decide who would live and die?

The state determined everything in Spartan citizens lives, including who would live and who would die. From the time that an infant was born the government decided their fate. At birth the child was inspected, both male and female, by a committee of the elders of the city-state.