Athens VS. Sparta 

 

Growing up in Athens

 

In Athens, boys started their education when they were seven. Schools in Athens were private and boys learnt reading, writing, mathematics, music and literature. They also did sports and physical training. Boys were taken to school by a male slave called a paidagogos who sat behind them during class. The paidgogos (seen in 2A) carried a cane, which was used if the boys misbehaved. Students wrote with a sharp stick called a stylus on flat pieces of wood covered with soft wax. For maths, they used a abacus or wooden rods. A lot of time was spent learning poems and stories by heart. Boys from poor families only went school for a few years. After this, they went to work or learnt a trade. Boys from wealthy families stayed at school until they were about 18 years old.

Source 2A 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Found at: http://tinyurl.com/lxluu8k (23, April, 2014)

 

 

 

 

Growing up in Sparta

 

Spartan boys began their military training, called the agog, when they were seven. The training was designed to create strong and fearless soldiers were obedient, loyal and patriotic. Education was the responsibility of the state and a special government official (paidonomos) was in charge. Boys moved to special barracks called agelai where they lived with other boys. Here they learnt to read and write and took part in hard and brutal military and physical training. At 10, boys also learnt music and dancing. They also began to compete i special athletic competitions and staged battles. The boys were encouraged to fight among themselves to see who was the strongest in the group. They were not given enough food , to get them used to being hungry during military campaigns. Instead the boys were encouraged to steal food when they were hungry but they were punished severely if they were caught. Spartan girls were brought up to be fit and healthy so that they could grow up to raise strong and healthy children for Sparta. Girls did harsh physical training and also learnt to read and write. They were taught to protect themselves and took part in athletic competition and staged battles.

 

 

 

Source 2B

"They were no longer allowed to wear any undergarments, they had one coat to serve them a year … They slept upon beds, made of the rushes which grew by the banks of the river Eurotas, which they were to break off with their hands with a knife…"

 

Extract from Life of Lycurgus by Plutarch (75CE).