Athens- A Golden City

In my opinion, Athens was the greater of the two city-states. It was a city of art and culture unparalleled throughout time or space. They prized philosophy, music, sculpture, and the other fine arts above any other aspect of their life. Sparta was too concerned with their military practices to worry about such "trivial" matters that Athens prized so highly. Sparta didn’t turn out any great thinkers such as Aristotle, Plato, or Socrates.

Citizenship in Athens was more widely offered than in Sparta. In Athens, you had to be a man twenty years of age, have served only two years in the military, and both parents had to be free, native-born Athenians. In Sparta, you had to be thirty years old. That ten years is a big difference. When you become a Spartan citizen, you are given land and slaves by the government, without having to do anything for it. Such handouts are bad for every reason of self-efficiency and is basically communism. Two years in the military is plenty of service to your city. In Sparta, you had to serve in the military from age seven. Athens thought that it was an obligation and duty to be in the military, not a lifetime career.

Athens was also the founder of democracy. It has influenced present day civilization so profoundly that it would be incomprehensible for us to think of life without this gift of this ancient city. Not only was it a democracy, but it was a pure democracy. It leaped forward in the evolution of government by granting citizens the rights required to directly control the government. All citizens could vote, hold political office, serve on a jury, and take part in lawmaking at every level. Sparta’s monarchy didn’t offer any of these benefits. Though all citizens made up Sparta’s Assembly, they could only elect officials and vote of major policies. They didn’t have the control that the Athenians did. All things taken into account, the five Ephors, or Sparta’s executive branch, held all of the real power.

Athens had its flaws, as does every city or country. Most of these, however, were shared by all Greek city-states, including Sparta. Such practices as slavery, degradation of women, and not offering citizenship to foreigners helped to lower the level of praise that Athens and all of Greece are due.

Athens... a golden city. The things ignored by Sparta were the same things which brought Athens above them. Athens was a city of quiet pride. A city that is still

unequaled in its glory.