Sparta

❓ Which two Greek city-states were the most famous and influential?
💡 Sparta and Athens

❓ What type of government replaced most Greek monarchies by 800 BC?
💡 Representative democracies (though only propertied citizens could vote)

❓ Which city-state dominated the Greek political scene after the Peloponnesian Wars?
💡 Sparta

❓ What was a key limitation of early Greek democracies?
💡 Only propertied citizens could vote.

❓ What event ended Sparta’s political dominance in Greece?
💡 Alexander the Great’s conquest of Greece in the 4th century BC

❓ How did Sparta’s relationship between the individual and the state differ from other Greek city-states?
💡 In Sparta, individuals existed for the sake of the state, not vice versa. The state was the center of Spartan existence, unlike other Greek cities where the state typically served its citizens.

❓ At what age were Spartan boys sent to military school, and what was the duration of their training?
💡 Spartan boys were sent to military school at age seven and underwent 13 years of training, becoming soldiers at age 20.

❓ What was the main purpose of the Spartan educational system?
💡 The main purpose was to produce men capable of showing extreme bravery as soldiers, with military strength considered essential for Sparta’s survival.

❓ What was the highest calling for a Spartan man, and how did this affect family life?
💡 Becoming a soldier was the highest calling. Spartan soldiers spent their lives with fellow soldiers, marrying but not living with their families.

❓ Who were the helots and what was their primary duty?
💡 The helots were agrarian peasants who served the state by producing food and other useful products for it.

❓ What were Hoplites?
💡 Hoplites were the military elite and shock troops.

❓ How did the rise of the Hoplites impact the social and political structure of Greek city-states?
💡 The Hoplites developed into a social class, causing the ruling nobles to lose influence. The citizen-soldier class, which dominated the battlefield, became harder to exclude from public life.