Which would have been better to live in, Sparta or Athens? and why?

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Leonarda

If you speak about the ancient times, i would prefere Sparta, because the women had other rights, they were powerful, and the spartans were proud people, even if they were a war city...
The ancient greek and very well know i tan i epi tas means everything...When they were going to war the mother was giving the shield to the son saying''or you will bring it back with honour, or you will die for the honour of it...
The opposite Athens, was the city of philosophy and art, but the women didnt have the rights they had in Sparta..

Dear Hothangel...we dont need to read history as you said, first of all we are natives, and then,we have a family library historic one (dellarovere included)wiht a big number of sources if you need more details and information

Dellarovere

Presuming that you refer to ancient times, I would certainly prefer Sparta because:
1. Although Sparta was governed by a king, Spartan enjoyed a high level of equality. They were not reach, they lived a plain life, but there was no poverty nor wealth like in Athens, where there existed a gap between the rich and the poor.
2. Despite the common belief about Sparta, there was a cultural life, like theater, public feasts, games, and considerable art and architecture.
3. Men and women in Sparta loved their body to be not only fit but also clean. Athenians didn't have the best relationship with water (unless to drink).
5. The environment was much better, closer to nature, with Taygetos mountain overvewing the city and Evrotas river crossing it.
6. Human relations were more straight and honest in Sparta.

In conclusion: Let's not have the false impression that all or the majority of Athenians were spending their day watching theater plays, listening to philosophers or admiring the bublic buildings, the temples and the statues.
Aristofanes gives us a clear immage of how hard everyday life of common people was.

zigzag

I would prefere Athens, for the philosophy and its art...

Hoplite

This is Sparta :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaaWZrFNRME

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2En9cW9bLhc

This is Athens :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftB95Yh_fLU

Enjoy !

cpinatsi

I vote for Athens then and now. It is my city and I love it! In fact, I love living here, and I get very mad at all the inhabitants of Athens who say that Athens is not good to live at and they would prefer to live in their home town, but then why don't they? If the answer is that they can't find a job there, well, that's part of the deal too, isn't it?
As for ancient times, teh equality in ancient Sparta derived from its totalitarian and often cruel regime. I would definitely not like to live in a military state, where not very strong looking newborns were thrown over a cliff and left to die.
Plus, let's face it, Spartans were probably of Doric ancestry, and athenians of Ionic. I come from Asia Minor, so I am from Ionic ancestry, so why would I want to live with Spartans?
And let's not forget, that although Spartans played heroes and 300 of them died pointlessly at Thermopylae, it was the Athenians who beat the Persians at the end of the day twice, at Marathon and Salamis, and saved Greece.

Jelena L.

Athens (famous for it's arts and culture)
preferably in 5th century BC
In Sparta, everything was subject to army, they lived and died to serve the state, which leaves no space to creativity at all. I would rather risk to be slave in Athens than live freely under those conditions in Sparta (plus, Sparta also had slaves)
Maybe women in Sparta were free to leave the house, unlike in Athens, but they were expected, for example, to have strong babies. Otherwise, if baby was weak, they would just leave it to die.
So there was no real individual freedom in Sparta. Every little thing was in order to help state, to strenghten their possibilities on the battle field. Too cold and cruel for me.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Pericles

I would rather live in Athens because it would be magnificent to live around all the marvelous classical works of art that were a part of Athens such as the Acropolis and so many other awesome monuments.

chrisvoulg1

Athens would be better, because (at least if you happen to be a free citizen) you would enjoy more freedom. Also the cultural environment well light years in advance from the militaristic Sparta

somerlo

As an archeologist, specialized on this subject, I vote for Sparta. And believe me, I have read lot's of history. Real one nad from various sources.

Zoi ((Î–Ï‰Î®))

I would choose Sparta, if I were you. It is a small town which has everything, life there is much better than in Athens. Athens is a big city with many things to do, but you need 2 hours to get to your job and this fact tells everything.
It is my personal opinion.

LuNa

Athens.

And only bcoz Athenians didnt like only war, and when Athens would attack to Persians, all of Greeks did, except the Spartans.

Also, they were Barbarians enough to think bout only war and not philosophy, mathematics, or to built something like the Parthenon.

Sorry guys, read some History first :P

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