A&S

1. Name_________________________________________________________________Period___________________
READ CHAPTER 7 -Lesson 2 Athens and Sparta Political Changes
Defining1. What is a tyrant?
Listing 2. List two groups of people who livedinGreekcity-statesthat didnot want the noblesto rule.
Marking the Text 3. Underline the definitionsofoligarchyand democracy.
4) Why were tyrants able to hold power invarious Greekcity-states
As the Greekcity-statesgrew,there werepolitical changes.The wealthynobleshadseizedpowerfromthe kings.
Ownersof small farmsdidnot like the noblesruling,however.Manyof themhad borrowedmoneyfromthe nobles.
Whenthe farmerscouldnot repaytheirloans,the noblestooktheirfarms.By650 B.C. merchantsandartisansalso
wantedchange.Theywere notcitizensbecause theydidnotownland.Thatmeanttheydidnothave a sayin rulingthe
polis.The growingpolitical unrestledtothe rise of tyrants.A tyrant issomeone whoseizespowerandruleswithtotal
authority.Mostof the tyrants whocontrolledcity-statesruledfairly.Itwasthe harshnessof a few tyrantsthat gave the
wordtyrannyits currentmeaning;rule bya cruel and unjustperson.The commonpeople andthe hoplites,orcitizen
soldiers,supportedthe tyrantsoverthrowingthe nobles.Tyrantsbecame more popularbybuildingnew marketplaces,
temples,andfortresses.Mostpeople inthe Greekcitystatesobjectedtorule byone person,however.They wanteda
governmentinwhichall citizenshadasay. Tyrants ruledmanyGreekcity-statesuntilabout500 B.C. Thenmost Greek
city-stateschangedtoeitheranoligarchyora democracy.In an oligarchy,afew wealthypeople holdpoweroverthe
largergroup of citizens.Ina democracy,all citizenshave asayin the government.Eachpolischose itsowntype of
government.SpartaandAthens,twoimportantGreekcity-states,haddifferenttypesof government.Theyalsohadvery
differentsocieties.
Political Changesin AncientGreece
• Noblestookcontrol fromkings
• Farmers,merchants,andartisans
wantedchanges
• Commonpeople supportedtyrants
• Most tyrantsruledfairly
• Greekswantedmore sayin
government
• Replacedmosttyrantswith
oligarchies ordemocracies
Sparta:
A MilitarySocietySpartawaslocatedon the PeloponnesusPeninsulainsouthernGreece.Spartainvadednearbycity-
statesand enslavedthe people wholivedthere.The Spartanscalledtheseenslavedpeople helots.Inabout650 B.C. the
helotsrebelled.The Spartanscrushedthe uprising.The leadersdecidedtomake Spartaa militarysociety.The leaders
thoughtthiswouldmake citizensmore loyal andobedient.All boysandmenwere preparedforalife of war.Boysleft
home at age seven.Theylivedinharshmilitarycampswhere theylearnedtoread,write,andtouse weapons.Spartan
leadersbelievedharshtreatmentwouldmake boysintoadultswhocouldsurvivethe painof battle.
Spartan womenenjoyedmore freedomthanwomeninother city-statesbecausethe menwere oftenawayfromhome.
Girlswere trainedinsportssuch as wrestling.The mainrole of womenwastoraise sonsforthe military.Sparta’s
governmentwasanoligarchy.Twokingsruledtogether,buthadlittle power.The council of eldersactedasjudgesand
the assemblymade decisionsaboutwarandpeace.The assemblyelectedfivepeople eachyeartobe ephors.The
ephorsenforcedlawsandcollectedtaxes.Sparta'sleadersbelievededucationcouldleadtounrest.Forthisre ason,the
governmentdiscouragedpeople fromstudyingliteratureandthe arts.Foreignvisitorswere notwelcome.Peoplecould
leave Spartaonlyformilitarypurposes.Trade waslimited.Spartabecame isolated.

2. Athens:A Young DemocracyAthenswasanotherimportantGreekcity-state.Itwaslocatednortheastof Sparta.The
people wholivedinAthensweredescendedfromthe Mycenaeanpeople. The Athenianpeople haddifferentideasabout
governmentandsocietythanthe people of Sparta.InAthens,boysstudiedarithmetic,geometry,drawing,music,and
publicspeaking.Theyalsopracticedsports.Boysfinishedschool atage 18. Atthat age,theywere expectedtobe active
inpublicaffairs.
Girlsin Athenswere educatedat home.
● They learnedspinning,weaving,and other householdduties.
● In some wealthyfamiliestheylearnedto read, write,and play music.
● Womenwere expectedto marry and raise children.
About600 B.C.mostAthenianfarmersowedmoneytothe nobles.Toavoidanuprising,the noblesturnedtoa
respectedmerchantnamedSolon.Solonendedthe farmers’debtsandfreedthose whohadbeenenslaved.In560 B.C.
anothertyranttook overthe government.Hisname wasPeisistratus.He gave citizenshiptopeople whodidnotown
land.He hiredthe poorto buildtemples.AfterPeisistratusdied,Cleisthenestookover.He gave the assemblyeven
greaterpowers.Cleisthenesalsocreatedanewcouncil of 500 citizenstohelpthe assembly manage government
business.Eachyeara lotterywasheldtochoose the council members.Usinga lotterymeantthateverycitizenhada
chance to be a council member.Cleisthenes'changesmade the Atheniangovernmentmore democratic.However,
people whowere notcitizensstill couldnotparticipateinthe government.Thisincludedall women,foreign-bornmen,
and enslavedpeople.
Life for Men inSparta Age 7: Left
home for military camps
Age 20: Joinedthe regular army
Age 30: Couldlive at home while
servingin the military
Age 60: Finallyleftmilitaryservice
5) Circle the wordthat means“relatingtosoldiersandwar.”
6) What were Spartanwomenexpectedtodoas adults?
9. What did Solondoto helpfarmers?
10. What wasthe benefitof usingthe lotterysystem?
11. Why wasSolonchosentobe leaderof Athens?
12) Name one wayCleisthenesmade the Atheniangovernmentmore democratic.
1. List the three groupswhowere not helpedbyhischanges.