Sparta and Athens | Differences, Features and War

Rivalries between the world’s superpowers are not something new. Throughout the history of humanity there have been numerous examples of how two countries with military, political and economic power compete with each other: Rome and Carthage, or the United States and the Soviet Union, are a couple of emblematic cases. But, if we travel back a few centuries, we find rivalries that are much more epic than contemporary ones. In Ancient Greece, the confrontation between the two great powers of the time was recognized: Sparta and Athens. The Spartan warriors were epic for their indisputable qualities for battle; The Athenians, for their part, stood out in the social sciences, political processes and the arts.

Both peoples had in common the territory where they were born. The immensity of Greece spans centuries of history and reaches the present day. Among the most curious facts about Greece, which make it one of the countries with the most historical, cultural and tourist value in the world, is the fact that in its territory it has no less than 18 monuments declared world heritage sites! Join us at to learn about the two most important city-states in all of Greece, and the reasons why their rivalry became a legend.

Sparta and Athens: rivalry in Ancient Greece

Ancient Greece was made up of city-states or «polises» with total autonomy. Greek civilization developed through the polis. They controlled a territory that should be self-sufficient and not subject to any external power. Although alliances were created between the different polis, independence was basic. Due to the feeling of belonging to one of these city-states that the inhabitants of Ancient Greece had, the worst punishment for a Greek citizen was exile.

Sparta and Athens reached the peak of the power of the Greek polis by very different paths. Athens was a pioneer of art and culture, while Sparta turned its citizens into the strongest warriors in all of Greece.. Even the elite group of the army, the 300 Spartans, went down in history as the most combative group of men with the best conditions for war in all of ancient history. The characteristics of Sparta and Athens were markedly different.

1. Characteristics of Sparta and Athens

The characteristics of Sparta and Athens presented them as two independent universes. Although both were part of Ancient Greece, the autonomy with which they were managed meant that they prioritized very different aspects for their development. The values, lifestyle and culture of each one were so different that they could hardly converge.

Athens, for its part, with a history of more than three thousand years, was born together with the development of maritime navigation in the port of Piraeus. It is universally recognized as the cradle of Democracy. It was also an important cultural center where the greatest artists, writers and philosophers of ancient times lived. Currently there are a lot of attractions to see in Athens. Its cultural and historical value make it a sought-after tourist destination.

Sparta tied its development to the study and perfection of the art of war. Iron discipline and a strict code of honor were instilled in the children, almost from birth. The Spartan names that went down in history were those of great warriors such as King Leonidas or King Menelaus. Another of the curiosities of the Spartans was the considerable freedom and power that women achieved in this society, far superior to other regions at the same time.

2. Main differences between Sparta and Athens

Just like water and oil, Sparta and Athens advanced in their development, becoming the greatest centers of power in Ancient Greece, for very different reasons. The main differences between Sparta and Athens revolved around the concept of war and humanistic development. For Sparta, the former was always the reason for being, while Athens focused on the latter. Let’s discover more differences between these two city-states.

  • Athens was a democracy and Sparta an oligarchy. Likewise, while the former descended from the Ionians, the latter descended from the Dorians.
  • Athens based its economy on trade and agriculture. Sparta did not trade. Their relations with the other states were reduced to providing an army and assistance when requested.
  • Athens was a maritime power and had few soldiers since military service was not mandatory for its citizens. Sparta was the largest military force in Greece since the Spartans were required to undergo harsh military training from childhood.
  • Athenian girls received virtually no education while Spartan girls did.also enjoying many more rights, freedoms, and even political and economic power.
  • Sparta prided itself on not having walls.. Athens protected its city and its temples with walls.
  • In Athens the arts were made a priority, literature and architecture, building temples and statues. The rigid lifestyle of the Spartans left little time to develop these types of interests.
  • Athens was protected by Athena, one of the main goddesses of Greek mythology, while Sparta, although it had temples dedicated to that goddess and venerated Heracles and other heroes of the Trojan War as if they were gods, In the center of the city it had a large temple dedicated to Ares, the god of war.

3. The war between Sparta and Athens

The war between Sparta and Athens that unleashed an unfathomable rivalry between these two cities of Ancient Greece was the Peloponnesian War.. Border towns were also affected by the conflict, and many of them were forced to take sides. Sparta’s allies formed the Peloponnesian Leagueand those of Athens, were erected in the Delian League. The war occurred between 431 and 404 BC, lasting 27 years.

It went down in history that the reason that sparked the desire for war between both cities was the political and economic control of the country. It is said that Sparta, warlike by nature, feared that the Athenians would become more powerful., seeing that most of Hellas (Greece) was under the control of Athens. The Peloponnesian War developed in three phases divided by periods of agreed peace. These periods were the following:

  • The Archidamic War was the first period, in which Athens’ maritime dominance was opposed to Sparta’s clear military advantage. This stage culminated with the Peace of Nicias.
  • The peace was broken and there was new fighting in the Peloponnese, which triggered the second stage of the war, which ended in disaster for Athenswith the loss of a large part of his army.
  • The third phase was known as the Decelian War. In it, Sparta allied itself with the Persians and the satraps of Asia Minor, inciting revolts in the cities related to Athens. The result was the destruction of the Athenian fleet and the surrender of the polis.

The war ended in 404 BC with the defeat of Athens. However, the Athenian worldview prevailed and spread throughout the world. Sparta, also devastated by the effects of the conflict, saw its golden age pass quickly. These two city-states were the cradle of current civilization. Greece is a pearl of universal history and culture, which marked a milestone in the social development that we know today. If you are interested in the topic, discover the best places to see in Greece, and venture on a walk through history, from its foundations.