Who had a better government Athens or Sparta?

The two city-states that best represent each form of government were Sparta (oligarchy) and Athens (democracy). Athens focused more on culture, while Sparta focused more on war. The oligarchy structure in Sparta enabled it to keep war as a top priority.

Why did Sparta stop fighting back against Athens?

The differences between Athens and Sparta eventually led to war between the two city-states. Known as the Peloponnesian War (431-404 B.C.E.), both Sparta and Athens gathered allies and fought on and off for decades because no single city-state was strong enough to conquer the others. But war cannot kill ideas.

Why did the Athenian and Sparta empires fail?

Sparta’s Success In The Peloponnesian War After the Peloponnesian War, Sparta attempted to create an empire after it defeated Athens. Sparta’s society relied on its citizens to be disciplined — a quality that broke down amongst the people outside of the Peloponnese and led to disarray.

How long did a war between Sparta and Athens once last?

15-year
The Great Peloponnesian War, also called the First Peloponnesian War, was the first major scuffle between them. It became a 15-year conflict between Athens and Sparta and their allies. Peace was decreed by the signing of the Thirty Years Treaty in 445 B.C., effective until 437 B.C., when the Peloponnesian War began.

How are Athens and Sparta alike and different?

One of the main ways they were similar was in their form of government. Both Athens and Sparta had an assembly, whose members were elected by the people. Sparta was ruled by two kings, who ruled until they died or were forced out of office. Athens was ruled by archons, who were elected annually.

Did the Spartans destroy Athens?

It subsequently lost that assent through suspicion that the Athenians were plotting to break up the Spartan state after an earthquake destroyed Sparta in 464 BC. When Sparta defeated Athens in the Peloponnesian War, it secured an unrivaled hegemony over southern Greece.

How long did Athens last?

Athens has been continuously inhabited for over 3,000 years, becoming the leading city of Ancient Greece in the first millennium BC; its cultural achievements during the 5th century BC laid the foundations of western civilization.

How did Athens and Sparta fall?

In the course of the Peloponnesian War, Sparta, a traditional land power, acquired a navy which managed to overpower the previously dominant flotilla of Athens, ending the Athenian Empire.

Did Athens and Sparta ever fight each other?

However, rarely did the two sides fight each other alone. Athens was part of the Delian League, an alliance of ancient Greek-city states led and funded mainly by Athens that eventually morphed into the Athenian Empire, and Sparta was a member of the Peloponnesian League.

What is the history of Sparta in ancient Greece?

History of Sparta. The History of Sparta describes the destiny of the ancient Dorian Greek state known as Sparta from its beginning in the legendary period to its incorporation into the Achaean League under the late Roman Republic, as Allied State, in 146 BC, a period of roughly 1000 years.

How well do you know the Spartan society?

The Spartan society was known for its highly-skilled warriors, elitist administrators, and its reverence for stoicism, people today still look to the Spartans as model citizens in an idealist ancient society. Yet, as is often the case, many of the perceptions we have of classical Sparta are based on over-glorified and exaggerated stories.

How did the lifestyle of Athens differ from the spartan lifestyle?

Compared to the simple lifestyle of the Spartan people, Athenians had a very modern and open outlook. Unlike Sparta, in Athens, boys were not forced to join the army.