Having been to Athens twice, I’ve had the opportunity to see the city from different perspectives. In addition to its historical and cultural importance, I’ve also seen it up close. It’s a city that’s very vibrant and a great place to visit. As a tourist, I found it easy to explore the city’s many attractions. I’d recommend it as a place to visit if you’re planning a trip to Greece.
Education of girls
During the time of Ancient Athens, girls and boys were educated in different ways. Boys were enrolled in schools while girls were taught at home.
A few schools were available for girls from wealthy families. These schools were designed to teach literature, philosophy, and art. Girls were also taught how to sew clothes, cook, and manage servants.
Boys were educated for about six years and had to attend a military school at age 18. They learned about writing, math, gymnastics, and sports. They also learned how to play musical instruments.
Girls were also educated at home, but they did not have to attend a school. They were taught by their mother or private tutors.
Politics
During ancient Greece, politics centered around freedom, rights, and participation by different groups in society. This was a very different world than our own, but there is still much that we can learn about the politics of Athens and our own political systems.
Athenian politics shifted as the city state’s governmental system became more democratic. The ancient Greeks believed that a person-to-person system of government would be better than the system that was based on an aristocratic chieftain government.
During the fifth century, Athens lost its democracy for a brief period. This was due to a violent mob seeking to throw out valid votes from millions of people. After a year of democracy, it was restored.
Social structure
Throughout the 5th century BC, the Athenian Empire was dominated by two primary powers. These were the Sparta and Athens. Athens was the only city-state to take the position of head of the Delian League.
Sparta was a powerful land power, and had a large number of slaves. Slaves were not treated harshly, and some were given important positions. Some were even given rights, such as the right to vote.
The Athens of our play reflects the historical reality, but it still feels like an aftershock. The Periclean age, a time of optimism, has not returned.
The Athenian army was dominated by aristocrats. The phalanx was a symbol of Greek military power. The Athenian cavalry was commanded by two officers, called hiparchen, who were assisted by ten fylarchen.
Athenian hegemony over one particular state
During the fifth century BCE, Athens was the hegemon of a group of independent city-states in the Aegean. Athens’s imperial ambitions became evident when it joined the Delian League. It was originally formed as an association of Greek city-states to fight Persians, but it became a vehicle for Athens’s imperial ambitions.
In the 5th century BCE, Athens was enjoying unparalleled material prosperity. Its citizens saw themselves as an elite class. It was also becoming a financial center. However, it failed to effectively regulate trade and finance.
Athenian hegemony was based on a variety of factors. Most prominent was the Athens’ love of honor. The Athenian society was patriarchal, with the highest status held by men. The citizen women had the same rights as men, but they were not allowed to own property or participate in politics.
Athenian law in its democratic context
Despite its brevity, Athenian law is a fascinating window into the early days of large scale democracy. In fact, the law of Athens has become a hot topic of discussion in the last twenty years.
The law of Athens had two main components: a magistrate and a jury. The magistrate was responsible for preliminary hearings and questioning parties. The jury had the job of deciding whether a person was guilty or not.
The jury had to consider a variety of evidence to reach a decision. A jury consisted of six thousand randomly selected citizens. They each earned a modest wage for the privilege of serving on a jury.
Democracies prefer democracy over oligarchs
Almost two millennia ago, Athens introduced the world to the concept of democracy. This was a great achievement. It was also the birthplace of the modern concept of democracy, as well as the first true democracy in the world.
In Athens, the assembly was a centralized political structure that drew together representatives of the government and the people. These assembly members would vote on issues affecting the city. The assembly also decided what laws were enforced and how to spend the city’s resources. The assembly was held at least once a month.
The oligarchs in Athens were a small group of land owning aristocrats. They were a force to be reckoned with. They controlled the city’s economy and the government. They had special privileges, including military power and discipline. Their monopoly of power was broken after a rival city-state attacked Athens.
