De la Salle college_Thessaloniki Greece E' Class_2011-2012 e-Twinning program "Book about our way of life" "Family in Greece"

1. ANCIENT GREECE
Athens vs
Sparta
Democracy Oligarchy
Education: art,music, sciences Military education
Exercise to keep fit and healthy Exercise to be strong to fight
Focus on family unity Focus on war preparation
Children’s upbringing with love Children’s training to be soldiers
and care
Men: get an education and find a Men: become good soldiers and
good job learn to fight and obey
Women: dependent on husbands Women: free to choose way of
or fathers / housewives life / no housework

2.  Athens vs. Sparta. The Two faces of Ancient
Greece
 Does it surprise you that the Ancient Greeks
thought of themselves as brothers? A closer look
shows that Ancient Greece had two faces, so radically
different that it’s hard to imagine them being related.
The two faces were the city- states of Athens and
Sparta, both with clashing views on various issues.
The Athenians cared about learning and the arts,
while the Spartans were focused on training and
following orders.
 The Athenian motto was “know thyself,” showing the
importance of individual thought.

3.  Athens and Sparta – Family Life and Values
 In Sparta, men were full time soldiers. Even though
there were few Spartans, they were well-trained
warriors who were feared by other city-states. Boys
lived in barracks and all got the same education.
 Family Life was almost nonexistent. Sparta resembled
an army camp. At a very young age boys were taken
from their homes to train together. Girls might have
slept at home, but during the day they worked and
exercised together, spending less time with their
families than most Greek girls.
 The typical family consisted of a man and a woman
who married to breed children, but to have a
functional family setting was hurtful to the army and
so, was not practiced.

4.  Women in Sparta were given more freedom and held more
responsibilities than women in Athens. Men were either at war or
training most of their lives leaving women free to go out and
spend time with each other. When men went to war, women were
left to make decisions for the community. The Spartans put war
first; The Athenians on the other hand, hardly ever resorted to
war unless it was the last option.
 As an Athenian, one could get a good education and could
pursue several kinds of arts and sciences.They appreciated
childhood and nurtured their children with tenderness and love.
Their education was well rounded; including reading, writing,
poetry, and music. They became skilled public speakers. They
also received military training to keep their bodies healthy, and
participated in athletic competitions. "Unlike Sparta, which put
military training above all else, Athens encouraged their young
men to explore many areas of knowledge.”