Sparta's rivalry with Athens
I can compare Sparta to Athens and tell the story of their rivalry.
- Year 4
Sparta's rivalry with Athens
I can compare Sparta to Athens and tell the story of their rivalry.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Sparta was very different to Athens. Sparta conquered nearby Messenia to gain farmland.
- Sparta’s government was a council of 30 men: 28 elders who limited the power of two kings, who led the army.
- Between 431-404 BCE Sparta fought the Peloponnesian War against Athens to win power over Greece, with Sparta winning.
- Women and enslaved people did all the rest of the work; women could own land but could not vote.
- Spartan culture was militaristic; boys left home at an early age to train for the army which they only left aged 60.
Keywords
Sparta - Sparta was a militaristic city in the southern part of Ancient Greece
Militaristic - a culture or society is described as militaristic when war and fighting are important to it
Council - a council is a group of people who gather to make decisions and discuss important things
Peloponnesian War - the Peloponnesian War was a war fought between Athens and Sparta over who would dominate Ancient Greece
Common misconception
That all city-states in Ancient Greece had the same structure, and the people in each state had the same roles and values. That the city-states were peaceful and lived happily alongside each other.
Although there were some similarities across Ancient Greece, each individual city-state had differences. Societies in Athens and Sparta were very different. Sometimes, the city-states fought each other for the right to rule over all of the lands.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
- Depiction or discussion of upsetting content
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.In Ancient Greece, what were Athens, Sparta and Corinth?
Q2.What happened at the Pnyx in Athens?
Q3.Match the keywords to the definitions.
someone owned by someone else who forces them to work with no pay
a group of 500 men that looked after the city business in Athens
people who have the job to defend a country on land usually in war
someone who makes a living growing crops or rearing animals
Q4.Which people did each of these things in Athens?
men
men and women
women
enslaved people