How were the cultures of Athens and Sparta different?

Answer by  tamarawilhite (17883)

Sparta had a society in which an upper class of Spartans were rulers and warriors. Lesser castes, even if Greek, were slaves - also called helots. Athens had a democracy in which all male citizens could vote. Athens detested the Spartans for having a caste system, in which high achieving Greeks couldn't rise up.

Answer by  Roger93 (20)

The Athenians prized art, architecture, literature and philosophy, and left a spectacular legacy in each of these fields. They invented democracy as a form of government. The Spartans valued obedience, physical fitness and military training above all else, and had an army which was the terror of ancient Greece, but left little behind but stories of their valor.

Answer by  jclick (1561)

One of the biggest differences between Athens and Sparta was their approach to military. Sparta's culture was extremely militaristic while Athens had a much smaller army. Sparta, however, had a much more progressive view toward women than Athens, integrating them fully into the military culture.

Answer by  Doomstoned (1454)

In ancient Greece, the city state of Athens has been historically associated with philosophic pursuits and endeavors, whereas Sparta is more widely recognized as a distinctly militarily oriented state.