1. Sparta and Athens
Chapter 7
Section 2

2. Did You Know?
Children in ancient Greece played many games we still play today, including backgammon, checkers, hockey, and chess.

3. Tyranny in the City-States
Nobles, who owned large farms, seized power from the Greek kings.
Farmers had to borrow money from nobles and often could not pay back the debt. What happened to the farmers?
They lost their land and had to work for the nobles or were sold into slavery.
Unhappy farmers demanded changes in the power structure of the city-states. What did this unhappiness lead to?
It led to the rise of tyrants. What are tyrants?
people who take power by force and rule with total authority.
Tyrants overthrew the nobles during the 600s B.C. How did they maintain their popularity?
They built marketplaces, temples, and walls.

4. Tyranny in the City-States
Greeks eventually tired of the tyrants and created oligarchies or democracies.
What is an Oligarchy?
a form of government in which a few people hold power.
What is a democracy?
a form of government in which all citizens share power.
What form of government did Sparta have?
Oligarchy
What form of government did Athens eventually have?
Democracy

5. Discussion Question
How are tyrants today different from those in ancient Greece?
Today the word “tyrant” means a harsh, oppressive ruler. Today’s tyrants are not concerned with the common good of their country’s people.

6. Sparta
To obtain more land, Spartans conquered and enslaved their neighbors. What were these enslaved people called?
helots.
To keep helots from rebelling, what did the Spartans create?
a strong military of boys and men. How old were boys when they entered the military?
Boys entered the military at age seven. At what age did men enter the regular army?
At age 20. Then, they lived in the barracks for 10 years
They returned home at age 30 but served in the army until they were 60 years old

7. Sparta What were Spartan girls trained in? Why?
They were trained in sports to become healthy mothers.
They were freer than other Greek women because most men were in the military, therefore they needed more rights.
The Spartan government was an oligarchy in which two kings headed a council of elders. What did the council do?
This council presented laws to an assembly, which voted on the laws.
What did the Spartan government do to maintain control of the country?
It kept foreign travelers out and discouraged its own citizens from traveling.

8. Discussion Question
What was one disadvantage of the Spartans’ focus on the military?
They did not learn as much about science or practice as much trade as the Greeks in Athens.

9. Athens
Boys in Athens were educated more extensively than Spartan boys. What did Athenian boys learn?
They attended school to learn reading, writing, and arithmetic; play sports; and learn to sing and play musical instruments.
What did Athenian girls learn?
household duties from their mothers.
Some wealthy girls learned reading, writing, and playing the lyre.
The government of early Athens was an oligarchy.
Who was the noble who reformed the Athenian government in 594 B.C.?
Solon. How did he reform things?
He canceled farmers’ debts and freed farmers who had become slaves.
He allowed all male citizens to participate in the assembly and law courts.

10. Discussion Question
Why did the people of Athens remain unhappy after Solon’s reforms?
Solon refused to give away the wealthy nobles’ land, so the farmers remained unhappy.

11. Athens
Who was the tyrant who seized power 30 years after Solon’s rule?
Peisistratus. How did he win support with the people?
He divided large estates among landless farmers.
He loaned money to the poor and gave them jobs building temples and other public works.
Cleisthenes took power in 508 B.C. How did he change government in Athens?
He created a democracy.
He gave the assembly more power.
He also created a new council to help the assembly carry out its duties.
Members of the council were chosen by lottery.