Sparta and Athens:Questions and Answers Q. Why was Sparta so militaristic? A. Sparta was extremely militaristic in nature for two reasons. Firstly, they were extremely over populated as result of state slaves. They therefore, were forced to conquer Messenia and reduce it's inhabitants to state slaves as well. This inturn casued the heluts (slaves) to revolt. As a result Sparta had to assuma a permanent wartime position fro them to maintain control.
Q. Briefely summerize Sparta's political system. What were it's main institutions? A. The political system was based on an elctoral process in which all male citizens could vote in the assembly and elect magistrates. These 28 elected representatives with the aid of two hereditary kings composed a council. The council would vote on such issues as war and peace and would also prepare an a agenda for the assembly and had important judical functions.
Q. Outline the contributioms of both Solon and Clethenes to Anthenian democracy.
Territory of ancient Sparta. Data from Kaplan (dir...
An 1852 Wallachian poster advertising an auction o...
Sparta, New JerseyA. Solon was responsible for breaking the the aristocracy's strong hold on elected offices by establishing that wealth rather than birht was the basis for holding office. He was also responsible for the rise in tyranny, a form of governmant in which there is an interim rule by an elected man as apposed to a dictator.
Clethenes was responsible for the complete weakening of family and clan sturcture of aristocrats, They then became local corperations, which became entry for all civic and religious life. This created ten tribes with roughly equal population, who had the ability to electmembers of council, jurors of court, generals, and commisioners. The main concept of Clethens was to establish the superiority of of the commmunity as a whole over the local institutons without destroying them.
Q. Was there a division between society and state in the...