Differences And Similarities Between Sparta And Athens

Introduction
Sparta and Athens were two sides to a very powerful coin; on the one hand, the Spartan corporeal political system and on the other, the Athenian democratic prowess. Each culture chose to approach their legislative, judicial, and military systems differently. On the one hand was Sparta, which highlighted military service and sacrifice. On the other hand was Athens, which prioritized culture and established early democracy. While these city-states had many leadership styles, they differed in other ways, regardless of belonging to the same country.
Sparta
For Sparta, public life was based around stature and rank within a military setting. People involved in decision making were the greatest warriors. The Gerousia was a committee composed of 30 free

Additionally, both cultures placed a premium on patriarchy, but demonstrated strong xenophobia unrelated to sex. Sparta believed in maintaining their history, as did Athens. Both cultures maintained a strained relationship with neighboring communities, specifically foreigners and (in Sparta's case) slaves. Many of the differences between Sparta and Athens were related to their similarities. Sparta and Athens were slightly separated by geography, but their differences spanned much further. Slaves, for Athens were expected, but for Sparta, they were formally declared as enemies. The tradition common in both cultures was strongly encouraged, however Athens chose to preserve cultural elements, whereas Sparta chose to emphasize their milatiristic components. Even Spartan children were "drafted" at an early age, whereas Athenian children were expected to learn philosophy from some of the world's greatest thinkers. Athens eventually decided to establish their own military force as well, but instead of having an infantry, they developed a naval force which was unrivaled in their