The Greek way
I will be discussing daily life in Athens and Sparta based on the following aspects that I consider to be the typical criteria of daily life: Health, Food, living conditions, environment, society and level of freedom (especially to engage in ones will, along with the resulting form of suppression or opposition, if any.)
As you can see I am very specific in the type of ‘freedom’ I chose as an import part of daily life. This will be one of the prominent distinguishing factors between life in the two city states, as their forms of government and leadership resonated on opposite sides of the spectrum. Women’s daily lives will also be discussed exclusively due to its difference in nature from the norm.
Environment
The atmosphere …show more content…
I imagine that Sparta being a fully invested military society, there would be little or no tolerance for freedom of expression from non-military or political participants. Let’s paint a picture together. If the Spartan men served in the military almost their whole lives (beginning at age seven), and only men served in the military, then what was left of Spartan society? Who roamed the streets and so on? Because the slaves were breaking their backs and the men were being soldiers, it’s the Women, non-military politicians, children under seven, and slaves who really made up society. They had a very unique society whose sole purpose it seems, was to support their military. Don’t be fooled, the Spartans were very social prone (within the military). There may not have been a theater show to attend, but the soldiers formed social groups that dined together. In addition to the fact that they were not at all democratically inclined, the level of freedom hovered only between the military and the politicians and to a small extent, the women, which will be discussed …show more content…
If the daily life in those states at that time is to be discussed, then a section is owed to the women, who suffered in a prejudiced, sexist Greek society. In both city states, women were not allowed to be politically involved and were perceived as inferior. However, in Sparta, women were given the opportunity to take responsibility for themselves and contribute in ways their neighboring states’ women could not. They were even allowed some form of a social life.
“Sparta was the only city where women routinely drank wine.” (“Ancient Greek Cuisine” n.d., para. 3 ) .This in a time when, “The only women in Greece who enjoyed a public life were prostitutes.” (“The Complete Athenian Woman”)
Brand (n.d) tactfully assists me here when he stated that, “In Sparta, with their sons and husbands out ‘playing soldier,’ it was left to the women to manage the economic affairs of the household.”
Compared to the rest of Greece, daily life for the women of Sparta was a whole different story.
References
The complete Athenian Woman. (2015, June 30). Retrieved from
I will be discussing daily life in Athens and Sparta based on the following aspects that I consider to be the typical criteria of daily life: Health, Food, living conditions, environment, society and level of freedom (especially to engage in ones will, along with the resulting form of suppression or opposition, if any.)
As you can see I am very specific in the type of ‘freedom’ I chose as an import part of daily life. This will be one of the prominent distinguishing factors between life in the two city states, as their forms of government and leadership resonated on opposite sides of the spectrum. Women’s daily lives will also be discussed exclusively due to its difference in nature from the norm.
Environment
The atmosphere …show more content…
I imagine that Sparta being a fully invested military society, there would be little or no tolerance for freedom of expression from non-military or political participants. Let’s paint a picture together. If the Spartan men served in the military almost their whole lives (beginning at age seven), and only men served in the military, then what was left of Spartan society? Who roamed the streets and so on? Because the slaves were breaking their backs and the men were being soldiers, it’s the Women, non-military politicians, children under seven, and slaves who really made up society. They had a very unique society whose sole purpose it seems, was to support their military. Don’t be fooled, the Spartans were very social prone (within the military). There may not have been a theater show to attend, but the soldiers formed social groups that dined together. In addition to the fact that they were not at all democratically inclined, the level of freedom hovered only between the military and the politicians and to a small extent, the women, which will be discussed …show more content…
If the daily life in those states at that time is to be discussed, then a section is owed to the women, who suffered in a prejudiced, sexist Greek society. In both city states, women were not allowed to be politically involved and were perceived as inferior. However, in Sparta, women were given the opportunity to take responsibility for themselves and contribute in ways their neighboring states’ women could not. They were even allowed some form of a social life.
“Sparta was the only city where women routinely drank wine.” (“Ancient Greek Cuisine” n.d., para. 3 ) .This in a time when, “The only women in Greece who enjoyed a public life were prostitutes.” (“The Complete Athenian Woman”)
Brand (n.d) tactfully assists me here when he stated that, “In Sparta, with their sons and husbands out ‘playing soldier,’ it was left to the women to manage the economic affairs of the household.”
Compared to the rest of Greece, daily life for the women of Sparta was a whole different story.
References
The complete Athenian Woman. (2015, June 30). Retrieved from