Welcome Explorers!

 You are about to embark on an adventure into the wonderful ancient world of Ancient Athens and Sparta! Prepare to learn and discover new and exciting things about the women of these societies. Athens and Sparta were the two biggest city states in Ancient Greece and were located very near to one another but as you are about to discover, they did not have a lot of things in common. 

 

 

 

Athens

Athens was one of the most dominant powers in ancient Greece, ruling over the entire region known as Attica. At the height of it's power, Athens was controlled by a form of government known as a democracy (rule of the people), which laid the foundations for politics in modern western civilization. Athens became powerful through extensive trade and by controlling many islands in the Aegean sea.  Along with having the leading naval force in Greece, Athens was also the embodiment of culture. Encouraging the development of art and wisdom, the Athenian society was in a way the polar opposite of Sparta.

Sparta

The powerful society of Sparta, otherwise known as Lacedaemon, was situated in the Peloponnese (Southern Greece).  Due to their agressive and domineering approach, Sparta were able to gain dominance over their surrounding city-states. Unlike Athens, Sparta was controlled by a diarchy (two ruling kings). Sparta was a very militarised state, with all male citizens required to go into training for  the army at the age of seven.  This military training continued till the age of eighteen.  Their focus on war and training made Sparta the strongest military land power in Greece.

 

MAP OF ANCIENT GREECE