Life in Ancient Greece and Greek Theater

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Life in Ancient Greeceand Greek Theater

• By Susan Carman
• James Russell and
• Marsha Stengel

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Life in Ancient Sparta

• Located in Southern Greece
• Spartans conquered people and made them slaves
  called Helots
• To controll conquered peoples they set up a
  brutal system of government

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Military State

• Helots outnumbered Spartans
• Spartans created military state to keep them in
  line
• When a baby was born soldiers came to check it
• If unhealthy it was taken as a slave or left to
  die on a hillside

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Boys - Men

• Boys left parents at age 7 to begin military
  training
• lasted 13 years
• lived in barracks
• if they disobeyed whipped in front of parents
• Taught altletics as well
• At age 20 they became soldiers

• Men also lived in barracks
• Men owed military service until
• Married but didnt live with wife
• At age 30 soldiers were allowed to live with wife
• Military service ened at age 60
• Soldiers were also given land that was farmed by
  helots

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SpartanGirls - Women

• Infant girls exposed to death if weak
• Went to school at age 6 or 7, also live in a
  barracks
• Educatede in gymnastics and physical treaining
• Tausght that lives were dedicated to sparta
• Main objective was to be strong to produce strong
  offspring

• Required to stay inside
• Alloed to move about
• At age 18 passed fitness test assigned a
  husband
• Had freedom from husband because they didnt live
  with them

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Athens
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Athenian beliefs

• Located in Attica
• A limited democracy
• Evolved from a monarchy to a aristocracy
• Around 700 B.C. 507 B.C. Democratic reforms
  were instituted
• Only males could participate in the government
• Athenians males in reading , writing , poetry, ,
  military training, and rhetoric were educated in

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AthenianGirls - Women

• Learned to read
• Learned important househlod skills
• Leaned mythology, religion and musical
  instruments
• Spent most of their time in household with other
  women
• Left house only for religious purposeds

• Married in their teens
• Marriage was arranged
• Could not own property
• Had few rights
• Not alloed to watch Olypic games
• Could divoerce
• Paticipated in all regigious ceremonies
• Had to obey husband
• Poorer women worked

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Athenian Boys - Men

• Taught at home until 6 or 7
• Went to school from age 7-14
• Learned Homeric poetryand musical insturments,
  public speaking, reading ,writing , math ,
  science and government
• At 18 atteneded military achool

• Activities included poliitcs, arts, crafts,
  agriculture, teade
• Knew how to hunt and horeseback ride
• Alsways be courteous
• Participated in government and military

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Greek Mythology

• WHAT IS A MYTH?A myth is a traditional story
  whose author is unknown. It has its roots in the
  primitive folk-beliefs of cultures and uses the
  supernatural to interpret natural events and to
  explain a culture's view of the universe and the
  nature of humanity.

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• Greek gods and Goddeses

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Olympic Games
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Olympic Games

• Began in 700 B.C. in a town called Olympiain
  south-western Greece
• Were in honor of the Greek God Zues
• Women not allowed to watch( porababley because
  men were naked or wore thongs
• lasted for 5 days
• First day spent sacrificeing to the gods

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• Boxing
• Wrestling
• Pancraatium both boxing and wresstling combined
• Horse-racing
• Penthlon- sprinting, long-jump, javelin-hurliong,
  discus-throwing, wrestling

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Famous Playwrights

• Most plays are based on myths or legonds
• Discussed moral and social issues or explored
  raltionship between men and gods
• Two types of plays were written
• Tragedy
• Comedy

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Playwrights

• Aeschlylus- The Oresteia was a series of 3 plays
  that told of the hideous crimes of murder and
  revenge of a pwerful family. ( 525-456 B.C.)
• Euripdes- The Trogan Woman stripped war of its
  glamour by showing the suffering of women who
  were victims of war.
• Sophocles- Antigone explored what happens when
  and individual s moral duty conflicts with the
  laws of the state.