Pationce's Essay

Pationce Bennett

2/13/11

Period 4 Sparta

During this unit on Greece, we learned a great deal about the city-states: Athens and Sparta. The two rivaling city-states.

      Athens was a beautiful city-state who’s talent was in the arts. Their patron goddess was, Athena, the goddess of wisdom. Therefore being the thing Athenians valued most. The women of Athens were controlled by the men. Until they were married, they were ruled by their father. Once married, they were controlled by their husbands. Athenian women got taught at home how to be a wife. how to use the loom, cook, clean, etc. Athenian women also weren’t aloud to leave the house except on special occasion. They also weren’t aloud to buy or own any property and disobey their fathers. While the men went a way to get an eduction. As you can see, women were ruled by men.  Cleisthenes, a man of Athens, is known as the father of democracy. In a democracy, the people rule over themselves. Cleisthenes was an awesome military leader against the war with the Persians. Unfortunately, when the Athenians took a vote on who to throw out of the city, they chose Cleisthenes. Many think it was his enemies who did this though. Though he did inspire Athens to make a navy before he was thrown out. This became one of the greatest navies in Greece at the time.
 
Ancient Sparta was a cruel place, but this was only because they valued military. They thought that military meant protection for their people, so naturally they wanted the best military. Their patron god was Ares, god of war. He had a thirst for bloodshed like no other. To Sparta, he was inspiration. The Spartans were so hung up on war that they’d check the male child after birth. If he was sickly in anyway, they left him outside the city. Unlike Athens, the women had almost unlimited rights. Since the men were always away training, at school, or even at war, the women had to run Sparta. They were aloud government positions, high education, and physical training. Because they would need to defend themselves while the men were away. The boys in Sparta would leave home at age 7, and until they were 12 they’d get a basic education. From the ages of 13-18 boys would go through physical training(A.K.A gym class:). At age 19 through age 20 the boys went through military training. Going through simulations of the hardships they’d experience during battle. From the ages of 21-30 the men served in the military. At age 30, they gained full citizen ship. They could now participate in the army and and move back home. Though being in the military, wasn’t really a choice for the men.

Though overall I’d like to say this unit by far has been the most fun and informative 

about History.
~Pationce Bennett

Kail's Essay on Greece

The People of Sparta

Women in Sparta had many more rights than women in any other of the five main city-states in Greece. When the men were in training the women weren’t weaving and taking care of the kids. They were doing that, but they weren’t complete housewives. They were able to participate in government, they were able to protect themselves because they were trained to defend themselves like the men, but not nearly as brutally. When the women were at home they were taking care of the kids, but they were also taking part in society. Women in all the other city-states are citizens, but in Sparta they take part in government because while the men are training for war and military. Ares, the patriot god of Sparta, is not married, and is the god of war. It only makes since that the Spartan people have the best military. Not only do men train, but so do women. It not only makes sense, it also makes them stronger. Instead of grabbing random men from the city-state, they have men to do the job full time. If you were a fisherman in any other city-state, they would cone to your house and say, “Hey, we need you for the military!” Where in Sparta they would just say, “We need you, you, you, and you for this war. Lets go!” The men in Sparta would retire at age 30. They were taken away from their families at the age of seven and started very brutal military training right away. The reason the Spartan people started being so brutal is because they had a slave revolt and not only did the slaves almost win, they almost destroyed Sparta completely. The Spartans wanted to make sure it never happened again, so they became the most brutal and fierce city-state in Greece. They always kept a close eye on the slaves to make sure that nobody was trying to rise to power. If you went to war against them you were pretty much dead the second you walked on to the field. In training they were taught to lie, cheat and steal. If they got caught they were whipped in front of the whole town, including their parents, and if they made a sound they punished more severely. They got taught to lie cheat and steal so they were able to survive. The people of Sparta were very different from all the other people in the other city-states because they had to be, that was how Sparta saw it. That is who they were told to be, and how they were told to live. It was just who they were and we can't take it back.

Julia's Essay on Greece

This quarter we learned about ancient Greece. One of my favorite things we learned about was Sparta. We learned about their military training, women’s rights, the Olympic games, their beliefs, and we also learned about other city-states such as Athens.

In Sparta they had harsh military training. If you were a boy you were tested to see if you would be good in the military.  For example, when you were born, if you were sick, or unhealthy in any way the government would take you out of Sparta and leave you in the wilderness to die.  Spartans made harsh rules because they did not want a slave riot.

            Women in Sparta had more rights than women in other city-states in Greece. One reason was because men were always away at battle, or training for battle. Women in Sparta where more physically fit because when the men were gone the women had to do all of the work. Unlike women from other city-states, Spartan women did not weave. They had to take care of children, clean, cook, and do the jobs that the men would usually do in Sparta.

            We learned about the Olympic games.  We learned that if you cheated you would be disqualified and your name would be carved into a stone block that would bring your city-state shame for centuries to come. If you won, you would bring great honor and joy to your city-state.

            People in ancient Greece thought everything happened because of the gods.  For example, if someone drowned, it happened because Poseidon (god of the sea) was upset with he/she and decided to kill them and if there was a storm and men at sea died it was because Poseidon was angry, or he was mad at the sailors. When there was an earthquake it was because Poseidon was in a really bad mood. When there was lightning it was because Zeus was angry, and when your crops grew and flowers bloomed it was because of Persephone and Demeter.

Finally, we learned about government in Athens.  Early Athens was an oligarchy. An oligarchy is a group ruled by few people. Later in time a tyrant named Peisistratus over ruled the oligarchy and it eventually was ruled in tyranny. Finally around 500 BC Athens became a democracy.  Democracy means the city state was ruled by the people. In their democracy they voted with pieces of broken pottery. To keep their city-state safe every so often everyone took a piece of broken pottery and carved down someone’s name and whoever’s name came up the most would be vanished. I know, doesn’t it sound so harsh! Well if I had a city-state, guess I would do what ever it takes to keep safe.

About Ancient Sparta

     Sparta was one of the greatest city-states in Ancient Greece. Sparta is located on the banks of the river Eurotas in Laconia, located in southeastern Peloponnese..

The Greek Gods and Goddesses

     The Greek Gods and Goddesses lived happily on Mt. Olympus. Here is some information about each.

• Aphrodite - Goddess of love and beauty. Her son was Eros, the god of love.
• Apollo - Beautiful god of the light, medicine and music. Apollo represents order, harmony, and civilization
• Ares - God of war. He had an affair with Aphrodite, and was father to many children.
• Artemis - Goddess moon, forest, new creations and the hunt.
• Athena - (Athene) Goddess of wisdom and war. Another interesting fact about her is that she was born from Zeus's head.
• Hera - Queen of the Gods, wife of Zeus, protector of marriage. Zeus was know to cheat on her and from that manner she unleashed her furry on the poor mortals he mated with.
• Hermes - The messenger of the gods, god of business. He was a very smart child, inventing the lyre by using a tortoise's shell when he was only a newborn baby.
• Hestia - Goddess of home, symbolized by the hearth which holds the ever-burning flame.
• Poseidon - God of the sea and earthquakes. As god of the seas Poseidon held great power, and could calm the waves or create terrible storms. He had an unreliable temper, and used his powers to generate fear and punishment on people as revenge.
• Zeus - King of the Gods, god of the sky, symbolized by the thunderbolt. As the ruler of the Olympian gods, Zeus held enormous power and almost absolute authority. His role was primarily to watch over the activities of the other gods, and make sure they weren't exceeding their powers He also was known to cheat on his wife Hera.

Sparta's Patron God

     The patron god of Sparta, Ares, played a huge role in Ancient Spartan society. Ares was the God of war, and Sparta is most known for their warriors. Ares is the son of Zeus and Hera. His constant companion is Eris, the spirit of strife. Together they bring bloodshed and hard ship to the human race. Ares would love to jump into war in his chariot, brandishing a sword, very bloodthirsty. Though once wounded, he would run back to Olympus. Once better, he would go back to his boastful self. Zeus called Ares the worst of his children, but to Sparta, he was inspiration.

Daily Life in Sparta

     Unlike the other city-states women had many more privelages/rights. It was this way because all the men were at war, away, or training. One thing Spartans mainly believed in was that military power was the way tho provide security for the people.  Spartan women got a better education and were more physically fit than women of other city-states because they had to do the manual laber and run things around Sparta.  The women of sparta thought spinnig thread and weaving to be tasks of the slaves.As a part of the men's training, the boys ran, jumped, threw javelins to increase their strength, and learned to endure hardships they would often face as soldiers. Boys ages 7-12 would leave home to get a basic education. At age 13-18 developed physical skills through exercise. From ages 19-20 men learned how to fight as part of the army. From the ages of 21-30 soldiers would begin to join the army. At age 30, the men could participate in the army and move back home.