Athens and Sparta

Sparta was indeed a very brutal dictatorial state based on aristocracy and oligarchy in its purest form. It proved to be the best example of cruel dictatorship for the following many military regimes like Hitler’s Nazi Army.

It was not a democracy. A dual king monarch were present hailing from legendary tribes and they were always chosen regardless of their caliber, capability or any form of vote-but solely on the fact of ancestral roots.

Furthermore, there were Ephors, which originally were three in number, later they were five, along with the higher assembly just like the modern Senate called ‘Guresia’ which was comprised of 60 year or above senior citizens who would play a very major role in judicial, foreign policy and military organization decisions along with ephors/magistrates. Guresia, basically was the legislative assembly; law making duty was assigned to them which was only based on the warrior state making agenda, rather than the aspirations of all Spartans, helots and the ever increasing empire they expanded with the passage of time.

Women were deprived of voting rights, in fact, their lifestyle was same as compared to the serfs, only that they were given education but their primary role was like a baby-producing factory. In addition, women didn’t have the power to vote or represent in any of these councils.

Helots, Periokees and the remaining serf class from Laconia, Messenia and other poleis were also ineligible for voting or contesting for ephors post.

There was an assembly comprising of free adult Spartan citizens, but the bills that were presented in the front of this particular assembly were very carefully monitored and subjective to the likes of Guresia and Ephors. Furthermore, the Ephors from non-aristocratic class could be manipulated, bribed, bullied and did not have de-facto authority among the traditional hierarchical ephor members. It is another evidence of Spartan having no signs of democracy.

The military ‘syssitia’ also depicts sheer dictatorial tendencies fueled with chauvinistic attitudes. Violent fights and competitiveness was present when contesting for the elite dining. Any existing member could dismiss on ambiguous grounds and generally, soldiers with aristocratic were given priority to be included in the military 15 men senior groups.

On the contrary, Athens was in sharp contrast. It’s political and social system was contrary to its rival Sparta. Democracy was born here but the form of government didn’t evolved smoothly. It rudimentary form of this system was developed slowly, as protests got more violent. The middle class, who was greatly troubled with aristocratic class and the disparities present initiated riots. Solomen removed debt slaves, made it illegal to sell their farmlands. I was very flabbergasted by Plato and other great visionary people who mastered in dialectics and were founders of this discipline. They too were rigid in their stance regarding mob rule or demos.

Solomen reforms kept the lowest faction, ‘’ people of the hill’’ secluded in the most futile land with minimum crop yield. Cleisthenes, a very prolific charismatic public official was elected with unanimous support from his fellows. He did brought some revolutionary reforms that were crucial to the progression of the democracy system. The formation of ten tribes broke the factions and brought equality. Fifty members from each tribe were picked to represent legislative council. Aristocrats before 570 BCE rigged the power but after that, there was one-man one vote rule; that is the basic main pillar of democracy. Cleisthenes could be considered as the chief pioneers and inventor of this experiment. 

Although, public opinion still could be skillfully manipulated and swayed but this was still nurturing democracy was an incredible achievement.