1. Athens and Sparta

3. What kinds of governments were there?

4. There was no “capital city” of Greece

5. While you were Greek, and proud of it, your primary allegiance and loyalty were towards your city-state

6. Squabbling among the Greeks almost did them in on several occasions when they fought the Persians

10. Were from the surrounding land of Laconia and Messenia that they conquered.

11. Owned by the state and not individual masters and the masters couldn’t sell them

12. Sparta got half of the helot’s crops

13. Significantly outnumbered the citizens.

16. Here’s a map of the Spartan region: (Sorry, it’s in French)

20. Exercises for them and all ages were always done in the nude… and oiled up

22. Older men were expected to have erotic loving relationships with boys (and were fined if they didn’t). This was also a mentor relationship.

23. With the Spartans, it was a “chaste” pederasty – actual coitus was not allowed, but other behavior was.

24. Even in this, self-control was paramount.

26. Soldiers were not allowed to trade or hold non-military occupations.

27. These were done by a class called the periokoi, free non-citizen inhabitants of Sparta.

28. Exercised full rights and duties of citizens at 30.

29. Weren’t free from military service until 60.

31. The two kings were equal in power (hypothetically) and exercised various duties.

32. They eventually became less powerful and important, and were primarily generals

33. The five ephors were a council elected for one year by the apella. All citizens were eligible.

34. The gerousia was like a Senate – a council of 30 elders (they had to be over 60) and were elected for life by the apella. Could veto the apella.

36. Learned reading and writing and girls were also given similar harsh physical training to the boys (many domestic tasks were left to the helots and periokoi)

37. Girls also received same amount and quality of food as boys, which wasn’t the case everywhere.

38. Could own and control property and could overtake husband’s property while he was at war. Were expected to defend it too and to put down revolts.

39. Were not rushed into sex and bearing children and were not forced or compelled to marry men considerably older than them.

42. This wound up being an unpopular move because the laws (both as they already existed and were codified by Draco, but also most especially as designed by Draco) were extremely harsh.

43. Death was the penalty for even minor crimes, like stealing vegetables. Draco claimed that this was an appropriate punishment and if something even worse were found, he would have applied to greater crimes.

46. Draco’s constitution wasn’t working out too well and in 594 BC, Solon revised it (almost completely).

47. He threw out all of Draco’s laws except those concerning homicide.

48. He had to strike a balance between the concerns of the aristocracy and those of the poor.

49. The poor were disgruntled at the possibility of they and their families being sold into slavery if they were in debt to an aristocrat.

51. Debt-slavery was abolished. Anybody who had been sold into slavery due to debt was liberated.

52. All outstanding debts at the time were abolished.

53. Death penalty only for murder.

55. Set up new system of government that included not just the top two classes (in the Areopagus), but also the third class in the Boule (council of 400 – 100 from each of the four tribes) and the assembly for the thetes.

56. After the new laws were published and made official, he left Athens for 10 years lest he be tempted to make himself a tyrant (though he was effectively one in making the laws).

57. Went touring. Interesting story concerning Croesus of Sardis.

59. Was the pederast mentee of Solon

60. Became leader of Athens’ poor in 565 BC

61. Made attempts at seizing control of Athens, but either failed or was overthrown. He first seized power in 560 BC finally made it stick in 546 BC and became a tyrant.

62. Made popular reforms.

63. Reduced taxation

64. Introduced festivals

65. Increased trade and commerce

66. Produced coin money

68. He helped the poor and gave them jobs through public works, so they were satisfied and supported him.

69. While he preserved the democratic institutions, he loaded the upper bodies with family and cronies.

70. When he first took power in 560 BC, it was through cunning deception. Did it again later.

72. Reformed the government

73. Previously, there were multiple tribes and there was conflict among the city folk, hill folk, and plain folk.

74. Cleisthenes organized ten entirely new tribes each composed of people from the three regions and of different family tribes.

75. The broke old tribal or class loyalties and reoriented people towards the state.

77. Anybody was eligible to serve for one year and it was expected that all male citizens would serve eventually.

78. Also served as a supreme court / jury, except for murder cases and religious matters (those remained to the Areopagus)With the establishment of the assembly, Athens became a representative democracy. The citizens themselves ran it.

80. Expected to take care of the home

81. Boys were taught reading and writing and girls were taught domestic skills, like spinning and sewing, by slaves

82. Not allowed out of the house except maybe for the near locality

83. Main purpose was to produce healthy children

85. A bit like Japanese geishas

86. They were educated so that they could entertain men with good conversations at parties, the symposia

87. Also learned physical talents, like dancing

88. Sometimes acted as prostitutes (and had a similar social status)

89. Despite public social status, they and their opinions were often respected by men

91. Slaves were usually barbarians, typically captured in war. Others were born slaves or their free parents sold them into slavery for money.

92. It was considered by some an abomination to enslave a fellow Greek. Greeks could be slaves, but many free Greeks didn’t like the idea.

94. Couldn’t slap a slave because you might inadvertently hit a citizen instead.

95. A master could beat his slave, though.

96. Testimony was taken only under torture.

97. Could buy their freedom or earn through fighting in war.

98. Masters could free their slaves.

99. Even then, though, they couldn’t be citizens and there were still conditions on them.