Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Suggested Lesson Sequence
Suggested Lesson Sequence
1. Warrior
Warrior society (all
all resources go into
training soldiers).
soldiers
Totalitarian Sparta
2. Militarism
Militarism – the glorification of military power
power.
Totalitarian Sparta
Ke p t p ain
g ry
hun
Mili Militar
murd y
scho tary er skills
ol a g
e7
300 Spartans at
480 B.C.
300,000
Persians
Thespartans
Battlefield today
300
Aristotle
“The loom is women’s work, not
debate. The man is by nature fitter
for command than the female, just
as an older person is superior to a
younger, more immature person.
-Aristotle
3. Limited
Limited Democracy: Only men
men could participate
participate;
not women or slaves.
“We alone regard a man who
“Our constitution is called a democracy
takespower
because no interest
is in theinhands
public not of a
affairs,
minoritynot butas
of athe
harmless but
whole people.
When asit aisuseless
a questioncharacter.”
of settling private
disputes, everyone is equal before the
laws. When it is a question of putting
one person before another in positions
of public responsibility, what counts is
not membership of a particular class,
but the ability the man possesses. We
alone regard a man who takes no
interest in public affairs, not as a
harmless but as a useless character.”
-Pericles
Apollo
zeus Hera
aphrodite
athena
Poseidon
2. Greek alphabet.
Greek “Cultural” Unity
The Persians
4. Fear of the Persian Empire.
Golden age of athens
o so phy Art & architecture science
P h i l
t h e ma tics
literature ma
? ?
? ? ?
? ?
Philosophy
Philosophy Greek thinkers used observation
& reason
reason to understand the world
world around them.
Humanism
Humanism – focus on worldly
worldly rather than religious
religious
subjects and the potential of the human
humanmind
mind.
Socrates
Be skeptical
question
everything and
seek the truth!
Multifaceted genius
genius (symbolic of the spirit of humanism
humanism).
Literature
Troy
Helen
The Odyssey
Art & Architecture
Lincoln
Memorial
3. Parthenon
Parthenon – most famous
famous Greek building
Art & Architecture
Idiotes!
2.
3.
4.
__________ Greek ________ used ___________ & ______ to
understand the _____ around them.
________ – focus on _______ rather than _________ subjects and the
potential of the _____ ____.
In the year 507 B.C., the Athenian leader Cleisthenes introduced a system of political reforms that
he called demokratia, or “rule by the people.” Although this Athenian democracy would survive
for only two centuries, Cleisthenes’ invention was one of ancient Athen’s most enduring
contributions to the modern world. In 508 BC, Athens became one of the first societies in ancient
times to formally establish a democracy. This form of government was used at a meeting place
which the Athenians called the Assembly. Here the citizens of Athens met monthly and discussed
the affairs of state. There were no decisions made by government without first asking the
The ancient Athenians were a unique people. They believed that individuals should be free as
Assembly.
long as they acted within the laws of Athens. This allowed them the opportunity to excel in any
direction they chose. Individuality, as the Athenians viewed it, was the basis of their society. The
ability to strive for excellence, no matter what the challenge, was what the Athenians so dearly
believed in. This strive for excellence was the method from which they achieved such
phenomenal accomplishments. These accomplishments astound us to this day. They also
believed in the balance of mind and body. Although many of them strove to become soldiers and
athletes, others ventured into philosophy, drama, pottery and the arts. The two most important
concepts which the ancient Athenians followed were found inscribed on the great shrine of
Delphi, which read "Nothing in excess" and "Know thyself". This philosophy greatly impacted
Athenian society.
Spartan society
In sharp contrast to Athens was its rival Sparta. Sparta had not joined the other Greek cities in
trade and colonization but had expanded instead by conquering and enslaving its neighbors. To
guard against revolts by the state slaves (helots), who worked the land for their conquerors,
Sparta deviated from the normal course of Greek political development and transformed itself into
a militaristic totalitarian state.
To this end, the state enforced absolute subordination of the individual to its will. State officials
examined all newborn children, and any found sickly or deformed were abandoned to die.
In ancient Sparta, boys at aged seven years old left their homes and entered the public educational
system to devote the rest of their lives to the state. The goal of this system of education was to
produce a well-drilled military machine composed of soldiers who were "obedient to the word of
command, capable of enduring hardships and victories in battle."
The Spartan system of education was organized by the state and each boy was assigned to a group
known as the agela. They lived in a communal style and were made to undergo a curriculum of
training that was rigorous and often painful. Enormous discipline was placed on these children as
they passed through the hands of teachers, gymnastic coaches and military instructors. The goal
of this program was to produce men who were not only physically fit but psychologically
disciplined. The Spartan male's education did not end till he reached the age of thirty. In this
educational regime, literacy and the arts were not a priority. When they reached the age of eleven,
Spartan boys were moved up to the next level of their education.
Sparta's position in the ancient Greek world was that of the lead member of the Peloponnesian
league. Through most of it's existence, Sparta was engaged in wars with various states including
Persia. By the 6th century BC Sparta was engaged in military excursions in Greece and as well as
Asia Minor. The militaristic culture of Sparta fostered values which emphasized the production of
"strong, violent, disciplined, unquestioning and ruthless young men, and more or less similar
young women" They "prided themselves on brute strength, courage and brevity of speech," and
even their religious festivals were characterized by violent competitions where, though unarmed,
young men were known to be flogged to the point of unconsciousness, and gangs of youths went
at each other with no holds barred.
Name:________________________________
Describe and Give Specific Details About the Type of Government that Existed in Ancient Athens:
___________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Describe the Duties of a Citizen Describe the Values That Were Describe the Accomplishments
in Athenian Society : Important in Athenian Society: of Athenian Society:
Describe and Give Specific Details About the Type of Government that Existed in Ancient Sparta:
________________________________________________________________________________________________
_
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
__
Describe the Duties of a Citizen Describe the Values That Were Describe the Accomplishments
in Spartan Society : Important in Spartan Society: of Spartan Society: