Greece and Rome Refocused

- Unit 2. Ancient Greece, Cradle of Democracy
- Getting Started
  - What Are We Learning?
  - Observe and Think
  - Map Your Mind
- Ancient Greece, Cradle of Democracy
  - The Land of Greece
  - The History of Greece
    - Crete
    - Mycenae
    - Dark Age
    - Archaic Age
    - Classical Age
    - Hellenistic Age
  - Political Organization
  - An Unequal Society
    - Women
  - Economy
- Self-Evaluation Quiz
- Complementary Activites
  - The Greek and Latin Roots of English
  - One Myth, One Song
  - Games, Comics and Stuff
- References

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# An Unequal Society

Look for some information about the social structure of Athens ans Sparta here and then fill in the missing words in the cloze activities below.

Athens

Society was divided into three groups:

1. JXUwMDFiJXUwMDJhJXUwMDFkJXUwMDFkJXUwMDEzJXUwMDFmJXUwMDBiJXUwMDFk : men over 18 with Athenian parents; they had complete political rights. Female citizens were not permitted to JXUwMDI4JXUwMDExJXUwMDEzJXUwMDA2JXUwMDFkJXUwMDBhJXUwMDBhJXUwMDE5JXUwMDExJXUw MDE1JXUwMDEx in the political life of Athens.
2. JXUwMDE1JXUwMDI4JXUwMDExJXUwMDFkJXUwMDBhJXUwMDEw are free men and women from foreign countries or other JXUwMDI4JXUwMDFmJXUwMDAzJXUwMDA5JXUwMDBjJXUwMDFh with limited political rights. They usually worked as craftsmen or merchants.
3. JXUwMDBiJXUwMDNmJXUwMDBkJXUwMDE3JXUwMDEzJXUwMDE2 : they had no rights. One could become a slave due to war, debts or by being condemned at a trial.

80% of JXUwMDI4JXUwMDFmJXUwMDFmJXUwMDA1JXUwMDE5JXUwMDBkJXUwMDE1JXUwMDFkJXUwMDA2JXUw MDAx was excluded from democracy.

1. Citizens : men over 18 with Athenian parents; they had complete political rights. Female citizens were not permitted to participate in the political life of Athens.
2. Metics are free men and women from foreign countries or other poleis with limited political rights. They usually worked as craftsmen or merchants.
3. Slaves : they had no rights. One could become a slave due to war, debts or by being condemned at a trial.

80% of population was excluded from democracy.

Sparta

Spartan society was structured according to three groups:

1. The Spartans, or JXUwMDNkJXUwMDE0JXUwMDA0JXUwMDE0JXUwMDBkJXUwMDFm , were involved exclusively in JXUwMDM1JXUwMDA0JXUwMDA1JXUwMDA1JXUwMDFkJXUwMDE1JXUwMDEzJXUwMDBi training and service and depended on the work of the lower classes. Although Spartan women had no political JXUwMDJhJXUwMDFiJXUwMDBlJXUwMDBmJXUwMDFjJXUwMDA3 and their main role was to have children, they were more highly considered socially than Athenian JXUwMDJmJXUwMDE4JXUwMDAyJXUwMDA4JXUwMDBi .
2. The JXUwMDI4JXUwMDE1JXUwMDE3JXUwMDFiJXUwMDA2JXUwMDA2JXUwMDBhJXUwMDBjJXUwMDA2 were citizens from other territories conquered by Sparta. They were JXUwMDNlJXUwMDE0JXUwMDE3JXUwMDAw and worked as tradesmen or artisans.
3. The JXUwMDMwJXUwMDBkJXUwMDA5JXUwMDAzJXUwMDFiJXUwMDA3 or slaves had no JXUwMDJhJXUwMDFiJXUwMDBlJXUwMDBmJXUwMDFjJXUwMDA3 and were owned by the JXUwMDJiJXUwMDA3JXUwMDE1JXUwMDE1JXUwMDEx . They were the largest group. The state lent them to the Spartans so that they could cultivate their lands.

Spartan society was structured according to three groups:

1. The Spartans, or equals , were involved exclusively in military training and service and depended on the work of the lower classes. Although Spartan women had no political rights and their main role was to have children, they were more highly considered socially than Athenian women .
2. The perioicoi were citizens from other territories conquered by Sparta. They were free and worked as tradesmen or artisans.
3. The helots or slaves had no rights and were owned by the state . They were the largest group. The state lent them to the Spartans so that they could cultivate their lands.

## Activity

Draw two pyramid shapes. In these pyramids, write the social groups of Athens and Sparta from the highest to the lowest. The best one will be uploaded to our classroom blog landofpotters.

## Activity

Have you heard of the "red rope" in relation to the Athenian assemblies? Click on the red rope below to get to the British Museum's activity and find out more interesting things on the matter.

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