Athens vs. Sparta Essay Example

Which is city state is superior, Athens or Sparta? With both being rich in culture and having their own specialties, this controversial question has left us all irresolute for years. After researching both city states, I’ve concluded that Athens was the superior city state. With their well-known introduction of democracy, to the illustrious economy and their dedications to the arts and education Athenians had much on their plates than the brutal “war-headed” Spartans

To begin with, Athens had a better system of government. It is known as democracy and is used by over 167 countries in the world today. All male citizens could participate in the main democratic body of Athens, the assembly. They met at least once a month, usually twice or three times on the Pnyx hill. Any citizen attending could vote on decisions by simply raising their hand. In the of the session, majority won, and the decision was final. Whereas, Sparta had two kings and a 28-member council consisting of only the upper-class elders, giving the citizens no say in anything. 

Secondly, Athens had a thriving economy and encouraged trade. Due to Athens being geographically located near the sea, they didn’t have much agricultural land, so relied on trade to feed their people. They traded with many city states and countries. Because they were located near the sea, they also had a good harbor, for seafood. Trading boosted their economy, and they were able to feed their people plenty. Sparta, on the other hand discouraged trade, yet they had a scarcity of land to feed all its people. For this reason, they relied on conquering other countries and relying on their land for food.

Moreover, Athens wasn’t all just about military like Sparta. As a matter of fact, Athens had a large emphasis on the arts, literature and architecture. They left behind many temples and statues that embodied their understanding of beauty. That’s not all, they also enjoyed the systematic study of subjects such as science, mathematics, philosophy and history to name a few. Their interest in all these subjects and forms of art ended up contributing a lot to the world. For example, their medicine, Olympics and introduction of democracy to the world. 

In conclusion, Sparta was always praised for its unbeatable military and fair treatment of women, but that was about all it had. Athens had an exceptional system of government, great economy and trade, and contributed lots to society. To state the facts, Sparta won the Peloponnesian war, but looking outside the battlefield, the overall winner would be Athens which was considered the shining star for the city-states.