Athens
Athens economy is based on trade. They couldn’t feed all of the people in the city, so they traded for food. Athenians used the sea near them to build a harbor to trade goods with foreign lands. They traded honey, olive oil, silver, and painted pottery for food. They also trade in a huge market place called the Agora. You could buy food and furniture here. Athenians made there own clothes, and bought and sold slaves. They used gold, silver, and bronze coins as their currency.
For their government they were a democratic city-state. A council of 500 met each day. The council was chosen by randomly picking men over the age of 30, and they made new laws. There was also an assembly of 6,000 citizens to handle proposed laws. Every single citizen had a right to speak during these meetings. You have to be male and over 18 to be a citizen.
Athenians valued education and wanted to make good, intelligent citizens. Growing up boys six to seven were taught at home by parents, and when they grew up boys six to fourteen went to school. There they were taught reading, writing, arithmetic, and literature. At school they didn’t have many books, and used writing tablets. They were also taught sports by coaches. At age 18 they were trained for military. Girls didn’t learn to read or write, they were taught to cook, clean, spin thread, and weave.
Women and slaves had it hard in Athens. Women couldn’t vote, chose their husbands, or own property. All day they managed the house and children, supervised slaves, and wove. Women also taught children at age six or seven. Slaves also ran households, but they worked on farm, factories, and worked as clerks. The unluckiest of slaves worked in silver mines.
Sparta
In Sparta, they used the government of oligarchy, where a group of people share and have equal power over a country or region. The people who made the important decisions were called The Council of Elders, who consisted of 28 men and two kings. Like Athens, Sparta also had an Assembly.
Their economy relied on farming and conquering other states, since they did not have enough land to feed all of it’s people. Helots, intermediate in status between slaves and citizens, had to give most of the food they grew for themselves to the government. Unlike most cities during their time, Sparta mostly discouraged trade.
Their main purpose of education was to produce men and women who could protect Sparta. The children were taught many different fighting techniques, and were taught writing and reading even though they were not considered important in this city. The women lived a simple normal life like the men, which involved owning property and they could speak to other men freely. The slaves could marry whoever they wanted, they could buy freedom, and could sell extra crops. Yet they could be killed if the Spartans thought they would revolt, and they were treated very poorly.
Athens economy is based on trade. They couldn’t feed all of the people in the city, so they traded for food. Athenians used the sea near them to build a harbor to trade goods with foreign lands. They traded honey, olive oil, silver, and painted pottery for food. They also trade in a huge market place called the Agora. You could buy food and furniture here. Athenians made there own clothes, and bought and sold slaves. They used gold, silver, and bronze coins as their currency.
For their government they were a democratic city-state. A council of 500 met each day. The council was chosen by randomly picking men over the age of 30, and they made new laws. There was also an assembly of 6,000 citizens to handle proposed laws. Every single citizen had a right to speak during these meetings. You have to be male and over 18 to be a citizen.
Athenians valued education and wanted to make good, intelligent citizens. Growing up boys six to seven were taught at home by parents, and when they grew up boys six to fourteen went to school. There they were taught reading, writing, arithmetic, and literature. At school they didn’t have many books, and used writing tablets. They were also taught sports by coaches. At age 18 they were trained for military. Girls didn’t learn to read or write, they were taught to cook, clean, spin thread, and weave.
Women and slaves had it hard in Athens. Women couldn’t vote, chose their husbands, or own property. All day they managed the house and children, supervised slaves, and wove. Women also taught children at age six or seven. Slaves also ran households, but they worked on farm, factories, and worked as clerks. The unluckiest of slaves worked in silver mines.
Sparta
In Sparta, they used the government of oligarchy, where a group of people share and have equal power over a country or region. The people who made the important decisions were called The Council of Elders, who consisted of 28 men and two kings. Like Athens, Sparta also had an Assembly.
Their economy relied on farming and conquering other states, since they did not have enough land to feed all of it’s people. Helots, intermediate in status between slaves and citizens, had to give most of the food they grew for themselves to the government. Unlike most cities during their time, Sparta mostly discouraged trade.
Their main purpose of education was to produce men and women who could protect Sparta. The children were taught many different fighting techniques, and were taught writing and reading even though they were not considered important in this city. The women lived a simple normal life like the men, which involved owning property and they could speak to other men freely. The slaves could marry whoever they wanted, they could buy freedom, and could sell extra crops. Yet they could be killed if the Spartans thought they would revolt, and they were treated very poorly.