The class and social structure of Sparta was very regimented similar to the way they treated everything, methodical and ordered. The Athenians. Next comes the slaves.. At the bottom of the pyramid came the class of the Helots. When you think of ancient Athens you probably think about togas, the Greek gods and goddesses, marble buildings, and maybe even democracy. 4. Sparta was an ancient independent city and was a great rival of one most popular Greek city Athens. Between 900 – 750 BC –> Sparta gradually gained control of the area of Lakonia. At a very young age, the boys were compulsorily being made to take military education and become paid soldiers. The lower end of the class, the helots, received what is thought to be better treatment than their peers in Greece, and the Spartiates Proper didn’t quite live the high life in the same way the upper class of Athens would. In the ancient Spartan hierarchy, the Perioeci was the middle level class of people. 3. Those who cleared the test were considered as the citizens of the state and were given the title of aristocrats. They also helped advice the kings in various matters related with the state. Education was very military focused for boys and girls, so most of the skills they learnt in school were combative and war centered. Sitting at the very top of the social classes the full citizens were afforded many rights, but of course their life dedicated to physical perfection and training would be viewed by some as a punishment. While we have lots of additional information on the helot class its worth explaining their place in the social rankings of the Spartan society. The last class of citizens which were called Helots were also slaves; they worked in the field and … Now Sparta women and slaves have a lot of rights 5.B oth sides of kids get Education 6. The lowest of the classes in ancient Sparta was the helot class. Women had no place but home, and they were in the group that their husband or father was in. On the top of the pyramid of the Spartan hierarchy came the two kings who ruled the city together.Besides the 2 main kinds, there were 28 other members who were known as the council of elders. Also, sometimes those who crossed limits were murdered by the other Spartans. What is Internet’s Hierarchical Structure, Manufacturing Company Management Hierarchy. The social classes of ancient Athens and Sparta Anna Barkle. Sparta is far superior to Athens because their army was fierce and protective, girls received some education and women had more freedom than in other poleis. As far as the social hierarchy was concerned, Spartans followed a very unusual system. Learn more about ancient Greece and Sparta and the complicated political system at MuseumReplicas.com. The Spartan people or the Lacedaemonians as they would also be known divided their social structure into three basic classes. Indeed, the Spartan king Menelaos instigated the war after the Trojan prince Paris abducted his wife Helen, offered to Paris by the goddess Aphrodite as a prize for choosing her in a beauty contest with fe… These 28 members elected by the people were responsible for conducting court for criminal justice and advising the kings in various issues related with the state. Oct 14, 2014 - Social Class: The ruling of the state was not assigned to just one person, but it was up to 28 different people to come up with the decisions for the state. Sparta had a highly unusual system of government. They practiced oligarchy to rule the people in which the power structure was shared by a small group of people who generally belonged to aristocratic class. Lower Class Freedmen. Spartan Classes. What was it Like to Live in Ancient Sparta? Perioeci or "neighbors/outsiders" who were freemen; they included artisans, craftsmen, merchants; they could not vote or serve in the army; foreigners could be in this class. The theater of Sparta today, via Archaeology Travel . The Helots were the slaves who resulted after committing some crime or by speaking against the tradition of the Spartans. Radical Social Reform in Sparta. According to the legend, from period of the king Lycurgus all existing Spartan laws were grounded. Women were considered at the bottom of the social class. Ancient Sparta was built on the banks of the Eurotas River, the largest river of Laconia, which provided it with a source of fresh water.The valley of the Eurotas is a natural fortress, bounded to the west by Mt. CTRL + SPACE for auto-complete. The Periocei were however not allowed involvement in the politics of Sparta, or even to marry one of the Spartiates Proper. Two kings ruled the city, but a 28-member 'council of elders' limited their powers. Daily Life & Social Structure Athens 1.T hey have two city states 2. They also helped advice the kings in various m… Social Structure Sparta was an oligarchy, which means the ruling power was divided into a small group. The Spartiates Proper were essentially the upper class of ancient Sparta, but their life while better than Perioeci and the helots, was not the same as the upper class of ancient Greece. Spartans were very popular and powerful warriors and Sparta was ruled by the oligarchy form of government for most of the time. The society of Ancient Sparta was divided into three main classes. Lastly, Sparta is the best polis of ancient … The Athenians possessed the most power out of the social structure the people in the social class have to be born in Athens. The Aristocrats were the richer class of people who owned lands and were also responsible for military operations. The Spartan people or the Lacedaemonians as they would also be known divided their social structure into three basic classes. O The Athenians had four social classes, while the Spartans had three social classes. The sparta n tradition was based on military prowess. Social Classes in Sparta: Helots were the main population in ancient Sparta. In Greek mythology the founder of the city was Lacedaemon, a son of Zeus, who gave his name to the region and his wife’s name to the city. Laws and Government Sparta had a unusual system of government.Two kings ruled the city, but a 28-member 'council of elders' limited their powers.These men were recruited from the highest social class, the aristocratic Spartiates Food The food of ancient sparta was very different They practised oligarchy to rule the people in whic… Mr. Olson 2,152 views. Copyright - 2007 - 2021 - Legends and Chronicles, Viking Funerals Buriels and the Afterlife, Medieval Chronicles - Medieval history, information and facts. Social Structure of Sparta: Three classes: Spartiates (military professionals who lived mostly in barracks and whose land was farmed by serfs; they served in the army and could vote). Invasions, warfare, and competition for resources disrupted life for many people living throughout the Greek wo… The Perioeci were afforded the luxury of free movement in Sparta and outside of the state also. sparta was unique in ancient Greece for its social system and constitution, which completely focused on military training and excellence. The Spartans, not wishing to have another slave revolt treated them with no respect and they we're whipped often. We may experience some shipping delays due to … Greek world at the time was a period of expansion and colonisaion –> Spartawas not a coloniser. Throughout history the world has seen very few powers that have been quite as unique as the ancient Greek city-state of Sparta. Besidesfulfilling their responsibilities as the Perioeci class, the people were required to pay taxes and were also given the opportunity to serve for the armed forces of the city.This class didn’t have any other political rights. Even though the Spartiates were the upper class, Compared to Athens, the gap between upper, middle and lower classes was much less defined, the Spartans, while owners of slaves and aware of classes put much less emphasis on living up the high life. Sparta was a city in Greece in which the form of the kingdom in the form of joint authority was preserved. Spartan political system was a combination of monarchy (kings), oligarchy (Gerousia) and democracy (ephoroi, ephors). Ancient Greece- Daily Life & Social Structure. As the Spartan army fled, Leonidas and his bodyguards stayed behind to fight the Persians. That uniqueness extended to their economy. In the Sparta civilization, everyone was required to appear for a graduation test at the age of 20, after they had learned all the tact and techniques of warfare. What defines each class is a little different however. The Spartan social structure had three classes, with the full citizens, the Spartiates Proper sitting atop the food chain. 2. Their unique government, social structure, and way of life made them a viable force in the ancient world. The Spartans believed this made them strong and better mothers. The social class system of Ancient Athens was very similar to structures in other cultures. They were killed, and the Persians continued their march on Greece. Sparta is located in the region of Laconia, in the south-eastern Peloponnese. The Spartans gave these individuals the status of Helots because they were rebellious by nature and needed to be controlled. The Slaves. There was a well-defined upper, middle, and lower class as well as a separate slave class. COVID-19 Update: We are open for business and are taking orders and shipping as normal. Parnon (1,935 m). O The Athenian classes were based on equality, while in Sparta, citizens had the most power. Athens women and slaves have very little rights 4. The Spartiate were like the native Spartans in Sparta.The Spartiate were those who could trace their ancestry back to the original, or first inhabitants of the city. They were either freedmen or slaves and they greatly outnumbered Spartans. The Perioeci were essentially the second class citizens of Sparta, free men and women but non citizens of the state of Sparta. The social structure or "pyramid" of Athens and Sparta is shown in a diagram above, and is explained throughout this Women and Slaves The pyramid first started out with women. All rights reserved. Correct answers: 2 question: Which statement best explains how the social structure of Athens differed from that of Sparta? Along with the two kings there were 28 other members which constituted the council of elders to help the kings manage their responsibilities. These members were elected by the people and their main responsibility was to conduct court for criminal justice. Sparta had an assembly, but important decisions were made by a … According to the government of Sparta, every person of the state had to live in the state and for the state throughout their life and totally belong to it. In ancient Sparta, reading and writing were not very important, so they were taught as a secondary skill for both boys and girls. Instead, Sparta attacked neighbouring Messenia and engaged in a series of wars, reducing the population to serfdom. The highest of this class was of course the full citizens the Spartans, who maintained the control over the state. This council of elders helped the kings manage the governance and responsibilities. I mean what member of the upper class would allow their slaves such freedom, its ridiculous, we would have punished those slaves till they respected us as their rightful masters, no revolt of that kind would happen on our soil.’. The class and social structure of Sparta was very regimented similar to the way they treated everything, methodical and ordered. Their unique government, social structure, and way of life made them a viable force in the ancient world. Ancient Sparta was unique amongst the Greek city-states in many ways. Spartan Classes population of Lacedaemonian state was divided from the oldest time in three classes: Spartiates (the upper class), Perioikoi (The Middle Class) and Helots (The Lower Class and some slaves). Browse all the additions to Legends and Chronicles. © 2018 - HierarchyStructure. Write CSS OR LESS and hit save. Following the Spartiate were the perioeci and at the bottom, were the helots. The helots were allowed to live in their own accommodation, allowed to keep some of their farming yields and allowed to have their own families, although mixing with the Spartiates proper was not allowed. Athenian government and Spartan government 3. The word Sparta means simple and economical. The following given information will explain more about the social hierarchy of the Spartans: On the top of the pyramid of the Spartan hierarchy came the two kings who ruled the city together.Besides the 2 main kinds, there were 28 other members who were known as the council of elders. After the king and the council of elders, came the Aristocrats who were thehighest level people among the other citizens. Its inhabitants were classified as Spartiates (Spartan citizens, who enjoyed full rights), Mothakes (non-Spartan free men raised as Spartans), Perioikoi (freedmen), and Helots (state-owned serfs, enslaved non-Spartan local population). The Spartan Constitution (or Spartan politeia) are the government and laws of the classical Greek city-state of Sparta.All classical Greek city-states had a politeia; the politeia of Sparta however, was noted by many classical authors for its unique features, which supported a rigidly layered social system and a strong hoplite army. From about 1000 B.C.E. Lycurgus had conceived also political institutions, established after consulting with the Delphic oracle. These men were recruited from the highest social … 1. It was n… until about 800 B.C.E., Athens was in a state of chaos that some historians refer to as the Greek Dark Ages. Able to vote on political matters, own Helots and have their land farmed for them, the Spartiates Proper would not partake in manual labour unless they desired and even if they did it would likely be frowned upon. The people from this class handled all the government work, philosophy as well as the literature department, and they also had a … Start studying Ancient History - sparta: social structure and occupations. It is for these reasons that Sparta has gone down in history as one of the most uniquely structured powers in world history, one that is observed by modern intellectuals and politicians, being used as a model for present day militaries and governments. Within a few short years, without the workforce of slaves supporting the Spartan system, the structure of society and its military excellence crumbled away. The topmost class of the Spartans comprised of two kings who combined ruled the city. Ancient Greece: Athens vs Sparta - Duration: 2:14. Sparta in many ways had had a similar but unique class structure to much of ancient Greece, but the range of their classes was much smaller. Taygetus (2,407 m) and to the east by Mt. These members were elected by the people and their main responsibility was to conduct court for criminal justice. At the bottom of society existed conquered people, especially the conquered people of Laconia or Messenia. The Spartan social structure was highly significant in the Spartan society.The structure was designed to maintain a militaristic society with each class making a contribution to the maintenance of a powerful nation. Map of the ancient Peloponnese . Very few city-states of ancient Greece were able to rival the Spartan people. The full citizens of Sparta, the Spartiates Proper were few in number but high in status. The helots would resent this rule, having multiple uprisings but their treatment for state owned serfs was generally considered to be better than most. The class structure of ancient Sparta is just another reason that makes this ancient state so interesting.