COMPARE AND CONTRAST THE EDUCATION

OF THE SPARTANS AND THE GREEKS

NAME: FOLARIN ABOSEDE CHRISTIANA

DEPARTMENT: BUSINESS EDUCATION

COURSE CODE: EDU 111

LEVEL: 100L

LECTURER IN CHARGE: MR. BAKARE

Introduction

During the 5th century BC, Greece was dominated by two main powers: democratic Athens and
the military oligarchy of Sparta. These city-states were very different. Sparta was traditionally
the great land power of the Greek world and controlled many neighboring territories whose
populations were tied to the land as slaves. Athens' power was based upon its command of the
sea, and though it was officially only head of a naval alliance (the Delian League), in practice
this amounted to an empire in all but name. This exercise encourages students to compare and
contrast Athens and Sparta.
Spartan and Athenian societies were very different in many aspects. However, at the same time,
the two shared a myriad of characteristics in common. The differences are what set the two apart,
while the things they shared in common are what united them as Greek city-states. Sparta and
Athens shared similarities and differences in their systems of government, militaristic focuses,
judgment, Education and views of women. In addition to this, the social gatherings of Athenians
and Spartans both had affinities and contrasts.

Objectives of education in Ancient Sparta, and how education prepared

students for their roles in society

Spartans believed in a life of 'discipline, self denial, and simplicity,' and so the purpose of
education was, simply, to produce an army. When babies were born, soldiers came to check the
child. If it appeared healthy and strong, they would be assigned to a 'brotherhood' or a
'sisterhood,' however if the baby appeared weak and small, the infant would be left to die on a
hillside or taken away to be trained as a slave. It was 'survival of the fittest' in Ancient Sparta.

Boys
Male Spartan children were sent to military school at the age of six or seven. They lived with
their brotherhood. School courses were very hard and painful for boys, and school was described
as a 'brutal training period.'
Between the age of 18 and 20, Spartan males had to pass a fitness test that consisted of fitness,
military ability, and leadership skills. If he didn't pass, he becams a person who had no political
rights and was not even considered a citizen called a perioidos. If he did pass, he would continue
to serve in the military and train as a soldier until he was 60, when the soldier could retire to live
with his family.

Girls
Girls were trained in their sisterhood, and were taught physical education. They also started
school at the age or six or seven. It is unknown as to whether their school was as rough and hard
as the boys', but some historians believe the two schools were very similar in their objectives, to
produce a strong group of women.
At age 18, the Spartan girl also had to pass a fitness test. If she passed, a husband would be
assigned to her, and she would be allowed to go home, however if she failed she would also
become a perioidos. A woman in Sparta things were very different for citizen women than they
were in other Greek cities, where women would stay home most of their lives and be controlled
by their husband. In Sparta, women had a lot of free will and were almost as good fighters as the
men.

Subjects students take in Ancient Sparta and why

 In ancient Sparta, reading and writing were not very important, so they were taught as a
secondary skill for both boys and girls.  Education was very military focused for boys and girls,
so most of the skills they learnt in school were combative and war centered.
 
The boys learnt survival skills and other skills vital to being a soldier. Because the Spartan
government wanted Spartans to be tough and strong, they weren't given enough food or clothing,
so they were encouraged to steal, but if they were caught they were beaten. That was the Spartan
way: Lie, cheat, steal, and get away with it, or else.

For girls, school was also very similar. They were taught physical education, which included
wrestling, gymnastics, and combat skills. Spartans believed that healthy women would produce
healthy babies. Even though Spartan women never had to join the military or the navy, they grew
up to be very strong and very good with combat skills.
Objectives of education in Ancient Athens, and how education prepared
students for their roles in society

Athens was the main educational, intellectual and cultural center of Ancient Greece. The main
purpose of education in Ancient Athens was to make citizens trained in the arts, and to prepare
them for both peace and war. It was aimed at the cultivation of the students' physical, mental, and
moral qualities.   From Athens we get the motto: A sound mind in a sound body. All schools
were very small private schools, and education was very valued.

Boys
Until age six, boys were taught at home by their mother or a male slave. Age six to 14 was
primary school. The teacher in school was always a male. Once the youths were 16, their 'basic
education' was complete. The boys who didn't have to work could now study the sciences and
philosophy. From the ages of 18 to 20, able bodied young men had to take military training for
the army or the navy. Athenians wanted their sons to have a well rounded education so that they
would know a variety of things and appreciate lots of things. 

Girls
Girls were taught at home by their mothers or a private tutor. The objective was to prepare girls
for being a stay-at-home mum, to look after and educate their children just as they had been
educated. 

Subjects students take in Ancient Athens and why

Boys' education in Ancient Athens consisted of three main courses: Grammata , Music, and
Physical Education. Grammata included reading, writing, and arithmetic. The literal translation
of 'grammata' is 'letters.' After the students had learnt their letters, they went onto learning the
words of famous poets such as Homer. The second course, music, consisted of singing, playing
the lyre and the flute, reciting, and musical performance of poetry. Through this students learnt
history, geography, and ethics. The third course, physical education, was when
the children practiced wrestling, jumping, running and throwing of discus and javelin. They also
played team games such as early forms of field hockey and soccer. This was to make their body
'strong and courageous.' The aim was not to produce athletes, or soldiers like in Sparta, but
young men who were graceful, fit, and attractive, and it was hoped they would develop habits of
fitness that they took with them their whole lives.
Teachers also added whatever else they knew to the school course.

Girls were mostly taught by their mothers in the comfort of their own homes. They learnt things
like motherhood and housekeeping. Girls were also allowed to take part in sports such as
wrestling. This was because parents were afraid girls would be spoiled if they learnt how to read.
In later life, their husband would be the one doing all the work, so he would need the subjects he
did at school, and a girl would stay at home and raise the children, doing housework. This was
how the separate schooling systems for boys and girls worked and fitted in with what they
needed to know for later life. However, some families employed a private tutor, so some
Athenian women were very well educated.

Influence of society on education in Ancient Sparta

Ancient Sparta's aims were very focused on war. They were proud, fierce, capable warriors, both
men and women. Sparta was very different to the rest of Greece, as their education system,
instead of focusing on producing a well educated citizen focused on producing a strong warrior.
Ancient Sparta was admired for their capability in war and how tough they were. Even though
women did not go to war, they were very strong and capable too.
School in Ancient Sparta was designed because of the unique structure of society in Sparta.
Because society was focused on war, school too had to be focused on war. In society, men
needed to know combat skills and survival skills so that was what they learnt in school.

Influence of society on education in Ancient Athens

Ancient Athens was known as the educational center of Ancient Greece. Men were ultimately
powerful over the women and children, and women had no say in anything. Their focus was not
so much on war, although men did often serve in the military or navy, but on academics and
great artworks. In Ancient Athens, women stayed at home and brought up their children and
educated their daughters, so they learned things like motherhood and housecleaning as most of
their education. As women didn't need to work or fight, they didn't need to learn things like
maths or survival skills. The men, however, didn't have to bring up the children; instead they
worked to support the family. Because of this, boys did need to learn how to read, and other
various things that society required them to know.

Spartan Education & Military Training

The primary purpose of Spartan education, and indeed of Spartan society as a whole, differed
greatly from that of the Athenians. The primary goal of Spartan education was to produce good
soldiers. Training for the military began at age 7, as all Spartan boys left home to go to military
school. From then until the time they were 18, they were subject to harsh training and discipline.
Historical accounts tell of Spartan boys as being allowed no shoes, very few clothes, and being
taught to take pride in enduring pain and hardship.

Throughout their adolescent and teenage years, Spartan boys were required to become proficient
in all manner of military activities. They were taught boxing, swimming, wrestling, javelin-
throwing, and discus-throwing. They were trained to harden themselves to the elements. At the
age of 18, Spartan boys had to go out into the world and steal their food. Getting caught would
result in harsh punishment, including flogging, which was usually a practice reserved only for
slaves. The concept was that a soldier must learn stealth and cunning.

At age 20, Spartan men had to pass a series of demanding tests of physical prowess and
leadership abilities. Those that passed became members of the Spartan military, and lived in
barracks with the other soldiers. They were allowed to take a wife, but they weren't allowed to
live with her. At age 30, they became full citizens of Sparta, provided they had served honorably.
They were required to continue serving the military, however, until age 60.

Unlike their Athenian counterparts, Spartan girls also went to school at age seven. There they
learned gymnastics, wrestling, and did calisthenics. These schools were similar in many ways to
the schools Spartan boys attended, as it was the Spartan opinion that strong women produced
strong babies, which would then grow into strong soldiers to serve the state.

Somewhat ironically, women in Sparta had much more independence than women in other city-
states, partially because their husbands never lived at home, and partially because Spartans had
tremendous respect for Spartan mothers.
While no marvelous works of art or literature ever came of this system, it did accomplish the
Spartan goal of producing elite soldiers. The Spartan military was universally disliked, but they
were also universally respected.

Athenian Education & Military Training

The primary purpose of Athenian education was to produce thinkers, people well-trained in arts
and sciences, people prepared for peace or war. Young Athenian boys were tutored at home
until the age of six or seven, and then they were sent to neighborhood schools for primary
education until they were 14 years of age. These schools were usually private schools, but tuition
costs were low enough that even most poor Athenians could afford to send their boys to school
for at least a few years.

During primary school, younger boys learned calisthenics and often were taught how to play ball
games, while older boys were taught more military-type activities, such as running, boxing, and
wrestling. All Athenian boys were expected to read heavily, however, as literature played a very
important part in their education. The national epic poems, Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, were
mandatory teaching in all Athenian elementary schools. The boys were also taught how to play
the lyre, sing, and do arithmetic. The emphasis of Athenian education was to prepare well-
rounded citizens capable of performing whatever task was asked of them.

At age 14, poorer boys usually stopped going to school and began apprenticeships at a trade.
Boys from families that could afford it continued to remain in school for four more years. At age
18, regardless of social status, all Athenian boys were required to attend military school for two
years, after which they were free to live out their lives as they saw fit. There were no permanent
schools for higher education until 390 BC, when teachers like Aristotle began establishing
academies for higher learning.

Athenian girls were not officially schooled, however. They were allowed to learn in the privacy
of their own homes, but as a result, most Athenian women had primarily domestic educations.

Conclusion
Spartan society was shaped entirely by the desire of its aristocracy to keep control despite being
vastly outnumbered by its free tradesmen and labourers and its slaves. It was rigid and
unyielding, raising its male citizens to be good soldiers and its women to be mothers of more
soldiers. Individualism and sentiment were ruthlessly suppressed, and Spartans only contact with
the outside world was when it attempted conquest.

In Athenian society there were fewer slaves and more freemen, and when the economic divide
worsened and freemen began to be sold as slaves, the old order of aristocratic rule was, slowly
but surely, overthrown. Trade with the outside world and, in early Athenian society at least,
crafts were a valued part of society, in contrast to Sparta where manual labour on a craft was
demeaning.

Fundamentally, Sparta achieved exactly what it wished to achieve. It had a stable society, and its
army was feared throughout. But Athens, by being more open to individualism, achieved
progression. Its increasingly democratic government and freedoms encouraged the later rich
flowering of art and poetry, philosophy and science, whereas Sparta stagnated.

In summary, Sparta and Athens may have been in great divergence to each other at their peaks
during and around the Golden Age of Greece, but they possessed many parallel relationships in
society. Spartan society and Athenian society had many difference and similarities in terms of
various aspects of everyday life, military, Education, women and other aspects.

References

Downey, "Ancient Education," The classical Journal52, no.8 (May 1957): 339.
Plutarch, The Rise and Fall of Athens: Nine Greek Leedsives'tau gutdon: Penguin Classics,
1960), 43.
Ed. Sienkiewicz, "Daily Life and Customs," Ancient Greece (New Jersey: Salem Press, I)
Lynch, John P. (1972). Aristotle's School: A Study of a Greek Educational Institution. Los
Angeles: University of California Press. p. 33.
Lynch. Aristotle's School. p. 36.
Sienkiewicz, Joseph, ed. (2007). "Education and Training". Ancient Greece. New Jersey: Salem
Press, Inc. p.  344.
Plutarch (1927). "The Training of Children". Moralia. Loeb Classical Library. p. 7.