Rapkins

aThENs vS. sPArtA esSAy

Athens and Sparta are two city states with very different laws, morals, and general functions. The two city states are located in Greece, which was, at the time, only a collection of city states. The main difference is that Athens provides much more freedom and choice for its people, and therefore became more progressive and advanced academically. They were both around at the same time, although Athens is still around, while Sparta was destroyed in the war against the Persians. Both city-states are somewhat legendary, and their ideals have been adopted countless times. Athens was considered an extremely progressive society for its time in the academic sense. Many talented artists and sculptors such as Theophil Freiherr von Hansen emerged from Athens and left landmarks like the Athens City hall and the Parthenon which has made the city famous. Sparta was considered crueler by European standards, but was very good about defending itself, and very caring for its people. Unlike Athens, who focused on the academic side of learning, Sparta focused its energy and resources on creating perfect soldiers to defend their land and fight if need be. Although they were much fewer in numbers than most city-states, they had established an army that was feared and respected throughout Europe. As an Athenian, you are given more choice as to what you become, and not as much is forced upon you. As a Spartan, you are forced to be a good soldier, but if you survive training, you are going to be the best soldier. Sparta is narrowing your choices down to one thing so you can excel there, while in Athens, you can choose to be an artist, philosopher, farmer, merchant, or a soldier. Athens ended up as a more prosperous and populated city as a result, not only because of the options it provided, but because Sparta was not for everyone. Sparta was a much smaller city state because it tossed out those who were not meant to be soldiers, and became extremely limited. This is why Sparta could not keep on running. It was a one-legged horse. Sparta and Athens were two of the most prominent and well regarded city-states for their time, but in the end, measuring up freedoms, legacy, and the end results of both societies, Athens is the place to be for every type of person except for a soldier.

EBsiTE http://www.answers.com/topic/leonidas-i Leonidas was a king of Sparta known for his heroic and uncompromising nature as a soldier and a ruler. Although very little is known about his birth and early years, his name has become legendary mostly due to his part in the famous [|Battle of Thermopylae], August, 480 BC, in which he gave his life fighting to protect Sparta from the Persian invasion. His name has been used and exagerrated countless times in popular culture, but he was and is a real-life hero and icon.

NotES

The Greeks = collection of city-states, share a language= Greek language (type of latin) Minoans = community of Greeks, live in an island called Creet, trade goods/ land/ culture/ language, they trade with everyone along Mediterranean. Influence from water (for food, drink, farming) and links city-states together. Same languages/ common culture, but people think of themselves as a part of communities, not Greeks, lead to separation and some conflict. Climate impact Greeks, = warm, not 2 hot r 2 cold. Spend more time outside and able to work more, get more things done Myceans – mountainous geography, by the sea, live in a temperate climate, located on a really rocky ridge, surrounded by thick walls, indicates that they are fearful of invaders and warlike, military rule, powerful, control and influence surrounding city states dominate between 1600 and 1100 BC, contemporaries of Minoans, fight Minoans instead of trade, through fighting still share culture like language and religion. For the most part they traded, real enemies = Troy = another city state Troy fight Mycenaeans for 10 years, Mycenaeans defeat Troy with Trojan Horse, war started because of Helen (Diane Kruger) All of this written in an epic by Homer called Elliot, Mycenaeans collapse because of too much fighting and not establishing a good community. Stories embody important part of beginning of storytelling, formed myths about gods, try to explain and personify emotions with gods