Ideology In Ancient Greece

Ideology is best defined as a system of ideas and beliefs that affect a person, group, or culture’s way of thinking. Ancient Greece was filled with different ideologies throughout the years; almost every polis with a different and unique set of values. Sparta had its strict militarism and aristocracy, suppressing people’s free thought. Athens had a mostly open, democratic, system, allowing more room for individual interpretations. And the empire of Alexander the Great that, despite having an absolute ruler, supported a diversity of ideas and allowed new beliefs to be introduced. In modern times ideology and governmental system are thought of as linked-- democracy as more accepting with opinions, and monarchies as more rigid and closed off.
That being said, Spartan women actually had more rights than Athenian women. Spartan women were able to inherit property and were actually allowed to exercise outdoors, while other Greek women were allowed outdoors only when collecting water or other such actions. While the fact that women had more rights seemed to demonstrate a more equal society, it just went to show that all Spartan people were equally controlled by a strict government and ideology. Spartan men, from very young ages, had to begin their Agoge training to become soldiers. From the age of seven, boys were enrolled into barracks, and to stay alive they had to basically be deemed “worthy” because they were taught to always fight. They were not told not to steal, they were told not to get caught. This training was meant to teach discipline and obedience to the men. Even physicality was ‘controlled’. Newborns were examined and if they were disabled or sick they would be abandoned and left to die. This arduous mindset also isolated them from the other poleis. Spartans were not interested in decorative architecture or other extravagance. Spartan “walls” were said to be made of only young soldiers; anything more was frowned upon. In fact, Spartans were forbidden from travelling, and trading was seen as shameful. These limitations restricted the exchanging and growth of new ideas. Unlike other examples, Sparta’s
While Athens appeared to have a more open democracy, many people were not included in this diversity; Philip and Alexander’s empire, even with an absolute ruler, was culturally diverse and continued the spread and unification of the Greek culture; Sparta had a very intense and strict militaristic aristocracy but still had a more just society for women than Athens. The impact of these ideologies can be still be seen in modern times. Athenian democracy has had an immense impact on modern-day democracy; Alexander the Great’s cultural diffusion has led to information being translatable to historians, and therefore has opened up many new sources of historical information about that time; and Spartan militarism has been, albeit intensely modified, significant in modern military strategies. Looking back at Greek poleis reminds us of the need for constant reevaluation of our own system and how our underlying ideologies are translated into practical laws and regulations in modern