Sparta In Public Life Essay

n order to to participate in public life and make decisions affecting the community in Sparta it meant that you had to be a warrior. Sparta was a Oligarchy witch means "rule of the few". In Athens in order to participate in public life and make decisions you had to be native born, male and free. In Athens your political standing depended on you wealth. The men with the highest wealth could seek the highest political offices. The next step down the ladder were men with slightly less wealth referred to as the horse men. The horse men could serve in lesser political offices and join the army. The middle class could only be elected to low level political offices. The poor and the landless could vote but not hold office or be in the army however they could row the ships. Sparta had far fewer
On the home front spartan kings had far less power the real power was in the Gerousia that was an elder council made up of males over 60 years of age. The rules that governed the selection of public office holders in Sparta were rigid. To be one of the kings you had to come from the bloodline of kings. To be an Ephor you had to be elected and could only serve one year in office. To be a member of the Gerousia you had to be age 60 and you coud apply but there could only be thirty members at a time. The assembly was all recognized free males of Sparta however they had little actual power. In Athens it was a democracy and wealth ruled the selection of public office holders. Athens and Sparta stood on two different sides of the fence one was a democracy and one was a dictatorship. The things they were similar in their governmental structures was keeping the poor and the weak down while the middle and the top thrived. Some of the things that the city-states differed on were the treatment of the low class Sparta made it obvious that you were lower than them whereas In Athens it was done but not as