Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Part 1
Athens, the largest city-state and capital; Sparta, on the right of the
Eurotas River and one of the most important city-statesthey were both citystates of the majestic civilization of Ancient Greece, yet indisputably
different. Both remain standing to this day, though Athens is much better
known to the general public. But what is it that makes these two enemies so
unalike?
The economic, political, financial and cultural center of Ancient Greece,
Athens was powerful and influential. It was the first city to fully develop
democracy, in its first stages. One major portion of the democracy of Athens
was the Council of Five Hundred. These men were chosen by a lottery and
changed yearly so as to prevent corruption. Their main job would be to
prepare the subjects to be discussed at the Assembly and to make sure
Assembly decisions were carried out. In general, males were allowed to vote;
they would go to the Pnyx, the home of the Assembly of the people, to
discuss and vote. They had many opportunitiesbig symposia parties were
held at home for feasting and drinking, they were allowed to exercise and
practice sports at the Academy... However, like most cities at this time,
women and children were not permitted to vote, and neither were slaves and
metics, foreigners living in Athens.
Sparta, on the other hand, was an oligarchy. Therefore, it was ruled by
a small group of peoplenamely 2 kings and Council of Elders. While they did
have an assembly of citizens like Athens, it was certainly not as powerful.
Even Greeks themselves feared Sparta, known sometimes as the Protector of
Greece, for its army. Spartan men were all raised to become strong, fearless
soldiers. They would often eat together in mess houses, an occasion known
as syssitia; here, they would all have to contribute food from their lands.
Women, however, were treated much differently in Sparta than in other citystates. They were permitted to receive an education and to exercise; the idea
behind this was that they would thus be able to produce strong, healthy
babies.
Athens patron goddess was Athena, naturally. Their coinage would
have Athena on one side and an owl, her symbol, on the other. However,
another god was quite prominent here: Hephaistos, father of Erechtheus, an
Kendra Fu
early king of the city. Dionysus, god of wine and fertility and patron of the
arts, was also honored with his own theater. Likewise, Asklepios had his own
Asklepieion, where sick people would come to recover, as Asklepios was the
god of healing. While Athena was patron goddess of Sparta as well, Artemis,
goddess of the hunt and childbirth, was equally as important. The Sanctuary
of Artemis Orthia was dedicated to her, and was one of the most important
religious sites in Sparta.
Perhaps the two most well known cities of Greece, Athens and Sparta
were once quite antagonistic towards each other. Today, they are both
marvelous tourist destinations, but few people know how contrasting they
were previouslymany, many years ago.
Part 2
Kendra Fu
being injured.
Finally, Socrates addresses the last argument of the affidavit: that he
does not believe in gods whatsoever. Meletes proclaims that Socrates
believes in spiritual and divine agencies, but to say he does not
believe in spirits and demigods is impossible, as they are all related.
Accordingly, to believe in demigods means to believe in gods, as
demigods are the half children of the gods.
4. People enjoy hearing the cross-examinations of those pretending to be
wise, and Socrates is the master of cross-examining, a duty imposed
upon him by God.
5. The fear of death is only pretence of wisdom, a fear of the greatest
evil as deemed by them. Socrates would never desert his post and
the duty given to him by God for a fear of death, and if he did, he
could justly be tried in court for denying the existence of the gods and
the oracle.
6. Socrates fulfilled his duty, and was loyal to the gods to whatever end.
He was an honourable man who thought only of doing the right thing,
the good thingthe death sentence was absolutely not a just end for
this man who sought only to do what God told him to do.