Sparta Vs. Athens: Peloponnesian War
Sparta VS Athens
Allies from their existence, Athens and Sparta had fought side by side for centuries. These two Greek city-states fought together in the Greco-Persian war, but when the Persians retreated, tension rose. Athens gained more power than they needed, plunging the two cities into nearly three decades of war. The outcome was devastating. Although Sparta won, they were extremely demoralized. Athens was bankrupt and exhausted, and neither city regained the military strength they once had. This infamous conflict came to be known as the Peloponnesian War.
Sparta was an important part of Greece during the Archaic and Classical periods. Sparta was famous for the sheer power and strength of its military. Spartan hoplites (high-ranking soldiers) were professionally trained and sported distinctive red cloaks, long hair, and the lambda-emblazoned shields. Spartan warriors were among the most feared fighters in all of Greece. They fought with distinction at battles such as Thermopylae and Plataea in the early 5th century BCE. In Greek mythology, the founder of Sparta was Lacedaemon, a supposed “son of Zeus.” …show more content…
It is thought that the age limit for any position of government was around 30 years old. Although this democracy was advanced, it was disappointing, as women, slaves, and resident foreigners were excluded from participating. “Athens' constitution is called a democracy because it respects the interests not of a minority but of the whole people. When it is a question of settling private disputes, everyone is equal before the law; when it is a question of putting one person before another in positions of public responsibility, what counts is not membership of a particular class, but the actual ability which the man possesses. No one, so long as he has it in him to be of service to the state, is kept in political obscurity because of poverty.” (Thuc.
Allies from their existence, Athens and Sparta had fought side by side for centuries. These two Greek city-states fought together in the Greco-Persian war, but when the Persians retreated, tension rose. Athens gained more power than they needed, plunging the two cities into nearly three decades of war. The outcome was devastating. Although Sparta won, they were extremely demoralized. Athens was bankrupt and exhausted, and neither city regained the military strength they once had. This infamous conflict came to be known as the Peloponnesian War.
Sparta was an important part of Greece during the Archaic and Classical periods. Sparta was famous for the sheer power and strength of its military. Spartan hoplites (high-ranking soldiers) were professionally trained and sported distinctive red cloaks, long hair, and the lambda-emblazoned shields. Spartan warriors were among the most feared fighters in all of Greece. They fought with distinction at battles such as Thermopylae and Plataea in the early 5th century BCE. In Greek mythology, the founder of Sparta was Lacedaemon, a supposed “son of Zeus.” …show more content…
It is thought that the age limit for any position of government was around 30 years old. Although this democracy was advanced, it was disappointing, as women, slaves, and resident foreigners were excluded from participating. “Athens' constitution is called a democracy because it respects the interests not of a minority but of the whole people. When it is a question of settling private disputes, everyone is equal before the law; when it is a question of putting one person before another in positions of public responsibility, what counts is not membership of a particular class, but the actual ability which the man possesses. No one, so long as he has it in him to be of service to the state, is kept in political obscurity because of poverty.” (Thuc.