compare the lifestyle of Athenians and Spartans
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Compare the lifestyle of Athenians and Spartans
Although both Athens and Sparta were powerful Greek city-states, they were very different. While hegemon, Athens was the center of culture and intellectual development in the Mediterranean. The classic works of philosophy and art from Greece are largely products of Athens, including major architectural achievements like the giant temple called the Parthenon. Sophocles, Herodotus, Hippocrates, Socrates, and Pericles, some of the most influential intellectuals in history, were Athenians. Athens also developed the first true system of democracy around 508 BCE. Athenian democracy meant that people voted on laws and kept a single person from holding total power, like a king.
The city-state of Sparta was very different. Spartan government and culture was completely devoted to its military. The Spartan military was famous for its skill and efficiency, and Spartan children trained rigorously from a young age. They were less concerned with philosophy or art than Athenians and had no trouble living underneath a powerful king. Spartans were also very careful about citizenship and only allowed people born to Spartan parents to be full citizens and have citizenship rights. They did, however, treat all citizens almost equally, including women, which was rare for the time period.
Answer:
Compared to the simple lifestyle of the Spartan people, Athenians had a very modern and open outlook. Unlike Sparta, in Athens, boys were not forced to join the army. As an Athenian, one could get a good education and could pursue several kinds of arts and sciences. Sparta people were not open to education and they only concentrated on military strength and obedience and they didn't interact much with the outside world.