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Athens versus Sparta: Polis and Effectiveness

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Discuss the differences between the polis of Athens and Sparta. Which do you think was more effective? What were the weaknesses of both?

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This is about the differences of the Athens and Sparta polis. The Athenian polis had more advantages. The weaknesses are its military and its political anarchy.

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The polis of Athens and Sparta differed in the emphasis of the government and their spectrum on the political control.
If I were going to write this, I would describe the polis of Athens and Sparta first namely their governmental structure and the way laws were issued in the polis. From these governmental structures, I would analyze the differences between the two poleis. Differences would be describes as Athens being more democratic than Sparta, Sparta focusing on military supremacy while Athens focused on naval supremacy, and Athens being more free in allowing most of their population to participate in the polis except for slaves and women while Sparta only had the elite oligarchy to participate-rule of the rich.

Athens initiated a democracy through the Solon constitution which forgave farmers debts and allowed them to participate in the government through election. Solon had the citizens participate in a legislative body called the boule and had ...

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