What Was Life Like In Ancient Greece
was inspired by an assignment I have to do for uni
The idea of innovation and adjusting pre-existing ideas to better them, is something humans have been doing since the dawn of time; whatever it may be humans want to perfect the ideas they may have to make their life easier and more enjoyable. Human brains are programmed to deal with situations that deal with problem solving; this is what sets us apart from any other living thing. Thinking of all the great things the world has to offer, we have to understand how far back some things had actually gotten their start. Our world is one that would not be the way it is today, if the great city-states of Athens and Sparta. These two Greek power-houses have so much to offer and contribute to Greece’s extensive legacy. Greece is known for all the amazing things they have contributed to modern day society, from democracy, philosophy, their devotion to their faith, the art and architecture they graced the world with or the epic battles that helped the Greeks conquer all they did; and put themselves on the world map.
Athens was the birthplace of democracy, philosophy, and its people did not just favour education/intelligence but also believed expressing feelings through art, drama and literature was a healthy and necessary part of society. Athens was multidimensional and so a well-rounded community. Athens left behind a legacy, that still can be found in modern society. This city-state was a place where some of the greatest minds the world has ever seen lived, all their ideas put a stamp on Greek culture; but those innovative ideas are things still practiced today. The majority of Athenians live a high-class, wealthy and luxury filled life surrounded around politics and in reaching the mind. The only downfall to this lovely high class life was the strange notion that women worth-less than men and did not have the brain capacity that a man did possess. This meant woman did not receive the education men did, or participate in sports; they were kept at home as property of their husbands accepted to upkeep the home. Women could not speak their opinion and so did not participate in any politics what so ever. One would think a community of people that created and cherished a life of democracy- one where everyone’s word is accounted for, would allow women equal right to men, but that was definitely not the case. This hypocritical view point may lead most to lean in favour of Athens great opponent; because the life Spartans lived was quite opposite of the Greeks living in Athens.
Sparta is a city built on war, a hard-core atiitude and it was well-oiled fighting machine that could overcome anything; a place where the weakest died and the fittest lived on. The Spartans believed only a strong true women could give birth to a Spartan warrior; and so the women of Sparta were placed at a higher value than most women were valued in the ancient world. The women in Sparta were nothing like those living in Athens, women could take part in sports and schooling, they also were more aggressive, confident and educated, allowing them to speak up and voice their opinion. This sets Sparta apart, because of their unique and almost modern ideology- well in this aspect. Spartans also held a military edge in Greece, their fighting technique and all or nothing attitude was something this great city-state was known for. Spartans and violence do go hand in hand; it was a part of their way of life. Just as the Athenians had a down fall, so did the mighty Spartans; they valued warfare more than anything and even though they were feared they also had many enemies and a weak cultural/ political system. Some of their ideologies were looked at as barbaric. Young boys were taken away from their family and tossed into the wild and made to fight one another. Those boy were encouraged to steal and cheat, because stealing wasn’t the problem getting caught was, and sadly these children were not shown the mercy or love they needed; this was all done to train for the life of brutality that laid ahead.
This article is not one to hide the truth, to understand what life was like in ancient Greece, all the facts need to be presented. It is an ugly truth, but both Sparta and Athens had downfalls and imperfection, like any other civilization and most anything else. It is the achievements of both of these great Greek city-states, that truly show the legacy of Greece. Without the boundaries Athens and Sparta pushed, our world today might not have been the same; the course of history could have taken a completely different turn.
It is almost near impossible to deciding which one of the two city state is better than the other, it all depends on what one finds to be more important; war, battle and conquest or philosophy, art, culture and democracy. As mentioned before Athenians had promoted the arts and celebrated the world of science, literature and philosophy. They were the first to really create and popularise these fields of wonder and understanding. The involvement in these fields helped shape, grow and enrich the human mind but culture as well. From all the advancements in physics and math, brought them new architecture that set them apart from other ancient civilizations, and has made them famous and known around the world today; the Acropolis is the main example of this architectural phenomenon. The Acropolis was a building that had different purposes, some were a meeting place where men would discuss politics, others where theaters from drams and some were even temples built to honor their Gods and Goddess(the most revered is the temple of Athena). Athens was named after the Goddess Athena, showed that women were not mistreated, just to the Athenians men were seen as more important and intelligent; it is hypocritical and unsettling but in the grand scheme of things it can be overlooked.
Sparta defaults can also be overlooked, because even though they did not take part in politics or the arts, like Athenians, they became a force to be reckoned with. The warrior that made Greece proud, for generations even after the decline of Greece, lived and trained in Sparta. Their “brutal” attitude really just made them so great. Why, well Spartans feared nothing, and would rather die in battle then come home a cowardly loser. When you think of Greeces Legacy, this is the very spirit and pride that pops up in your mind; besides all the great achievements of Athens.
Greece leaves us with a huge portfolio of every great detail in its art, building, religion and politics. The two largest rival, and most well known of Greek city-states, are none other than Athens and Sparta. Ironically these two city states were so close in distance yet could not be any farther apart in terms of their ideology and beliefs. Life in both these cities was very different, but is it strange to think that maybe the aspects of both cities that made them different, is the very same things that made Greece so great. Both of these powerful groupings of people, together, leave a lasting memory of Greece. The things they accomplished and limits they pushed, did not leave a bad taste in our mouths, yet left a lasting impression that would forever influence the civilization that followed their great legacy.