Table of Contents
Why did Athens prosper so much?
This rise occurred largely due to its prominent location and control of key trading routes and leadership in the wars against Persia. While other Greek cities held more powerful armies, such as Sparta, Athens’ leadership proved attractive and helped pave the way for its influence.
What did the Athens people value?
Athens Values While Spartans valued military strength, Athenians placed a higher value on education and culture. Their main goal was building a democracy. Athenians believed that the only way to build a strong democracy was to create well informed citizens.
What was important to Athenian society?
Athenian society was a patriarchy; men held all rights and advantages, such as access to education and power. Athenian women were dedicated to the care and upkeep of the family home.
Why was Athens a successful civilization?
They brought us democracy, science, philosophy, written contracts, taxes, writing, and schools. But the apex of their civilization, sandwiched between two wars, lasted just 24 years—in human history, a lightning flash across the summer sky.
Why is Athens important in history?
Athens was the largest and most influential of the Greek city-states. It had many fine buildings and was named after Athena, the goddess of wisdom and warfare. The Athenians invented democracy, a new type of government where every citizen could vote on important issues, such as whether or not to declare war.
What was the life like in ancient Athens?
To the contrary, ancient Athens was a place of public opulence and private squalor. The streets were noisy, narrow, and dirty. The houses of the wealthy were indistinguishable from those of the poor, and both were equally shoddy—constructed of wood and sun-dried clay, and so flimsy that robbers gained entry by simply digging.
What was the advantage of Education in Athens?
Because basic education was affordable many boys were educated and learned about politics at a young age. This allowed people within different classes of society to participate in the assembly which was open to all men older than 18. The upper class citizens had an advantage in both education and in the so called democracy.
Why was Athens considered to be a great city?
A city with a population equivalent to that of Wichita, Kansas, it was an unlikely candidate for greatness: Other Greek city-states were larger (Syracuse) or wealthier (Corinth) or mightier (Sparta). Yet Athens produced more brilliant minds—from Socrates to Aristotle—than any other place the world has seen before or since.
How did Draco give democracy to the people of Athens?
Draco gave the people of Athens a law code of which citizens had to listen to. He gave political rights to the rich and the lower class farmers would be stuck with debts that they owed to the wealthy. The Athenians needed a way to solve the problem, so they called open aristocrat by the name of Solon.