Culture Of Greece In Antiquity

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Leslie Mahoney

Mr. Foster

WL1 Antiquity Essay

Culture of Greece in Antiquity

Ancient Greek Culture is one of the most interesting to discuss and study. Ancient Greece was divided into city –states with Athens and Sparta being the largest. Grecian people worshipped many gods, such as Zeus, Athena, Apollo, Aphrodite, and Artemis. Greek cultures also believed in high morals. They also laid the foundations for government, many scientific advancements, philosophical achievements, and education through universities that are followed many societies today.

These city-states of Athens and Sparta were the two main cities in Greece. Athens was the more powerful because they controlled a major port and had a steady stream of trade. They also had a substantial supply of farms. Athenians enjoyed creating beautiful sculptures and viewing the arts and lazy group poetry recitations. Athens was built in the luscious lands and coastal region. Sparta had farms which provided much of their economy but relied on the goods and riches they took by conquering others. Spartans enjoyed the art of war and being prepared for war. Education of arts and sciences were not a priority. Sparta was built in the valley surrounded by huge mountains making it the upmost defendable fortress and kept them isolated from other city-states.

Greeks from Sparta to Athens have a lot of similarities but some major differences as well. One of the main differences was the role of women in these societies. Spartans were a warrior society that revolved around the status of having the best fighters. The women of Sparta were not only in charge of the household and rearing children, but were also taught to read and write. They were also taught the art of battle skills, how to throw discs, and gymnastics. They were not required to join the military school as the boys were at age seven, but were taught in the same manner. Spartan women were also allowed more freedoms outside the home and could speak publicly. Athenian women were more subservient and kept to their homes; they were only allowed out for weddings and funerals. In both societies the women were to keep the household running financially by paying the bills, rearing the children, and serving their husband’s needs. They both also had slaves that would do the household chores of cooking, cleaning, and outside farm work.

One similarity of these women in both cities was the fact that they would be alone for months as their husbands would be off fighting another war. They came together with quite an ambitious plan to bring an end to the Peloponnesian War. As apparent in "Lysistrata" the women knew that their feminine attributes could be used as hostage from the men to stop the Peloponnesian war. The women grew tired of being lonely and left for months as the men/warriors were off to fight battles. They wanted their husband’s home. These women of Greece started a revolution of women’s rights in their society when they formed an alliance with the women of other warring nations of Greece to stop the fighting. Women took care of the household finances, but were not able to enter the institute that held their town’s finances. They also were not able to raise a hand against the men or question his decisions. The women of "Lysistrata" threw out all reservations by taking a stance at the one place that held the purse strings for all citizens, the Acropolis. They stood strong and unyielding to the threats and bulling of the men. These women challenged all rules and stood for what they believed. Culture is a fickle lamb that if the wool is stroked in the opposite direction, the very fiber of society is tangled and frayed. These women tested themselves and by standing up to the men and withholding the one pleasure they could not live without, these women proved that they make decisions on their own and backed them up fiercely. Another difference that the women faced between the two cities is the way the women dressed.

One tradition that I have always heard was that the women of Athens would dress to look like young boys to keep their husbands attentions. Athenian men, though this is speculation of stories pass down, had a fascination with boys and in order for the women to catch their husband’s eye and to keep him interested, they dressed as boys. Spartan women on the other hand are celebrated for their strength to bare strong warriors. The strength and bravery of the warrior reflected back onto the mother for being a warrior mother. Many occasions a Spartan woman who is married with many sons and with the husbands permission, could be asked to mate with an unmarried Spartan warrior to ensure that his sons would come from a strong woman. Spartan women lived mostly alone with their children. Their husbands, as part of the warrior society, lived most of their lives in the warrior barracks and camps. This keeps the brotherhood close and the warriors trained non-stop. The Spartan men only came home occasionally to pursue their primal needs to be with their wife and return to the camp. With the husbands being at the barracks all the time, it gave these women the more freedom than their counterparts in Athens.

The treatment of newborns was another difference that stands out between the two cultures. Spartan was a warring city and believed that the loyalty to Sparta was above all. Spartans would evaluate newborns to see if they were capable of growing up into master warriors. If the child was deem unworthy, it was tossed and left to die. The Spartans believed that only the strong could serve and defend Sparta, leaving the newborns with any imperfections to suffer death. Athens, on the other hand, cherished all children and set out to make sure that all young boys received an ample education in arts and sciences.

One of the great similarities between these two great cities and also the whole Greek culture was the belief in their gods. The Greek people believed that the gods controlled their destinies. Any decision to go to war, to marry, or just any problems that would arise, they Greeks would consult the oracles for guidance and they would follow their instructions to the letter in fear of following out of favor with the gods.

One of the greatest tributes to the Greek culture was when Sparta defeated Athens. Spartan tradition was to destroy as they conquered. The Spartan viewed the city of Athens as too beautiful to destroy; Sparta also felt the need to keep the traditions of Athens alive. They allowed them to continue with the pursuit of education and arts.

Ancient Greek culture is one of my favorite for the philosophers alone. I find myself on many days looking at Plato and Socrates for quotes of inspiration and for guidance. I have also posted many quotes concerning the governing of the people on my Facebook. Ancient Greek culture has laid a path for all to follow as far as how the people should be the focus of government and that the leaders should be subject to the people. No wonder our Founding Fathers looked to them for guidance when writing our constitution.