Education

 

EDUCATION IN GREECE AND ROME

 

 

 

Sparta

Athens

Rome

Home schooling

From 0 to 7 years.

Boys and girls together in the care of their mothers and nursemaids.

 

From 0 to 7 years.

Boys and girls together in the care of their mothers and nursemaids.

From 0 to 7 years.

Boys and girls together in the care of their mothers and nursemaids.

Primary school

From 7 to 12 years.

The State was in charge of education.

Only boys: literacy and severe training to endure tiredness, hunger or cold.

 

From 7 to 14 years.

Only boys: literacy and numeracy.

Sometimes music and physical education.

From 7 to 12.

Boys and girls: literacy and numeracy.

Secondary school

From 12 to 16 years.

Only boys; even more severe physical training.

From 14 to 18.

Only boys:  literature, maths, astronomy, geometry, music and physical education.

 

From 12 to 16 years.

Boys and girls: focused on grammar, geography, mythology and astronomy. Maths, music and gymnastics were studied as well.

 

Higher education

From 16 to 20 years.

Only boys: military training, tough test of survival.

 

From 18 to 20 years.

Only boys: maths, rhetoric, grammar as a preparation for public life.

From 16 to 20 years.

Only for a few privileged boys: rhetoric, philosophy and law to become lawyers and politicians.

 

 

Icono de iDevice Translation: Teaching in Greece and Rome

1) Find out what the name of the following teachers in Greece was.

- The teacher in charge from 7 to 18 years.
- The teacher of music.
- The teacher of physical education.

2) Find out what the name of the following teachers in Greece and Rome was.

- The primary teacher.
- The secondary teacher.
- The Higher education teacher.
- The slave who accompanied the child to school and carried his school satchel.
Icono de iDevice Translation

Take a look at this painting called Young Spartans Exercising by the French painter Edgar Degas.

 

 

In the background you can see Mount Taygetus from which the Spartans were supposed to throw the disabled or "unfit" children.

  1. What do you think about this "custom"?
  2. Imagine that you were the father or mother of one of these children. Write a short speech with your best reasons to avoid this cruel destination for your unfit children.
  3. However, in the picture, girls seem to exercise together with boys. What do you think about that? Do you know if this was possible in Athens?
  4. If you were a girl, would you prefer to be Spartan or Athenian?
  5. Returning to the painting, in which century did Edgar Degas live? What art movement did he belong to?
  6. Do you like the painting? Please, justify your answer.