Hellenism In Ancient Greece

For most of it’s history, ancient Greece was composed of small city-states, that had little economic opportunity and prosperity, and could barely sustain a functioning government. Additionally, many Greek people were not confined to one region, and were spread out all across the western world(Ionian-Greeks, Mycenaeans). In spite of this, many city-states and Greek people had a great sense of identity, pride and communality. The binding force between these unrelated city-states was the belief in Hellenic culture/Greek customs. All Greeks believed in Hellenism, and it is one of the things that defined them as Greeks. In small Greek communities and City-states, Greek customs were the biggest legislative force. The most notable Greek city-states

were Athens and Sparta. This is because they had major innovations and developments. Some of these include the first democratic system, the Polis, the arts, a modern and progressive egalitarian system, and the brutal and tough militaries they had. Athens and Sparta both shared the belief in Hellenic ideals. But their expression of Hellenism was unique to each Polis, and can be seen throughout their society, political and economic policy.

The expression of Hellenism in Athens and Sparta was seen in two regards. A devotion to competition and a positive outlook on the idea of freedom and tradition. Athens and Sparta reflected upon the idea of competition in two different manners. In Athens, competition was mostly based on intellect and the arts. The arts were an Athenian trait. Athenians were raised in an educational system based of philosophy, literature, music, etc. Athenians were mentored by great minds like Plato, who did credit Sparta for having an educational system, though not as intellectually focused as the Athenian one. Also, Athenian assembly’s between male citizens were open to debate. Competition in Athens was intellectual. In Sparta, competition was more physically rigorous and strict than in Athens. From birth, competition ensued. The act of survival at birth was competitive, the harsh education system was physical and the act of entering manhood was physical. In Sparta, one virtue was most superior than all others: Physical combat and competition. Males would be Spartan soldiers until they were 60, and were not allowed to eat with their families, but with their fellow spartan soldiers. Spartan mothers would insult their sons lost in war and returned alive, or showed any cowardice. They also would feel great pride in their sons if they returned victorious. The most competitive activity was war. It was hand to hand combat between opposing soldiers that required the utmost skill, and only the strong survived. The idea of freedom in Athens was largely political and societal. Athens had the freedom of profession, which Sparta did not. Athenians could be farmers, scholars, traders and open up private institutions. Athenian men also had the freedom to take part in assembly and vote on laws. Athens still had many inequalities caused by the government. Women could not take part in assembly, be in the military, or own property. Spartan freedom was definitely more progressive and modern in a gender sense, but not a societal sense. Sparta also had more conservative and traditional basis for their society than AThens, who was much more modern when it came to society. Spartan women had many rights. Because many men were frequently away, women had control over Helots, property rights and could even engage in adultery. Aristotle believed that Spartan women ruled the homes despite the Spartan mens military skill. He saw the powerful position of the women as a problem, reflecting even more on the Athenian view on women as unequal. Sparta did not have freedom of profession or not many freedoms in society. The Spartan society had a military complex that was coercive on it’s citizens. These freedoms and ideas of competition showed how Athenians and Spartans took Hellenic ideas and used them in society.

Athens and Sparta both had organized systems of government unlike most city-states where hellenic culture legislated their behavior.

Sparta and Athens both had Oligarchies between the 7th century B.C and 5th century B.C. Until Cleisthenes reformed Athens and installed a new council of 500, that proposed laws that the assembly would vote on. Spartan oligarchy had a council of elders that consisted of two kings and 28 men over the age of 60 who had served in the Spartan military. This differed from a democracy because the assembly did not make laws, but just passed them. There was also no open debate or discussion. These governments and political institutions although we're both expressions of hellenic culture, manifested because of the virtues and cultures of Athens and Sparta as well as their history. Athens became a democracy because of its openness to new ideas and great education, as well as the enslavement of the Athenian farmers via debt. In the Age of Pericles, Athens flourished culturally and politically. They had a direct democracy and had seen the growth of the arts and intellect divisions. When the

aristocrats
seized the government and the Athenian farmers, there were a series of reforms that led to Athens bringing back their democracy. This would not have been possible without their intellectual assets and the tyranny that happened. Sparta is an oligarchy for the primary reason of training men for war. Where a small group of people oversee all government actions it is quicker and easier to train men for war and to go to war rather than a democracy. In the Spartan oligarchy, the King's job was to lead and direct the military. The Ephors oversaw the Kings. The council of elders and Spartan assembly were also made up of Spartan soldiers. Spartans oligarchy was conceived solely for the purpose of the military.

In small Greek city-states there was not many resources in small areas.

Most people provided for themselves and did not engage in any sort of trade. Most Greeks had small plots of land, and even the wealthy Greeks had a small amount of land compared to today. But the wealth and monetary value of Greeks was not based on size, but it was a relative spectrum. Where your “value” was compared to others. This is a phenomenon known as relative wealth, and was seen throughout Greek, Sparta and especially Athens. The economy of Sparta and Athens however had many resources, and impacted and reflected the fundamental institutions of their culture. The Spartan economy was mostly government controlled entity. With most of it’s productivity coming from the Helots and from military conquest. Free trade was also banned and not feasible as most men worked in the military or government. Athens had a sort of free-market and free-trade system, though they did have things socialised by the state. Athens was near the sea and traded very frequently with neighboring regions. It was not only the state that traded but the Athenian citizens, whom were free to become merchants. The economies of both Athens and Sparta reflected upon the essence of freedom and tradition which they both had liked. One economy was built on freedom and trade. The other based on tradition and military venture. These economies expressed the virtues that the two cities

had.

The expression of Hellenic culture between Athens and Sparta and the virtues they held superior were shown throughout their economic, political and social policies. Athens had a democratic, artistic and free-trade system which were components of Athens. Athens was not as socialised as Sparta, and since their military was not a prime objective, most other things were not socialised. Sparta however, had a military industrial complex, where their military was the source of vigor, tradition, and expression of Hellenism. Since Sparta had a socialised military, it is understandable that most other programs were socialised as well like their economy. These two Polis’s, while seemingly different. Shared the main values of Hellenism and what it meant to be a Greek, Athenian, and Spartan.