Athens and Sparta compared: government, daily life, education and values

Grade 6 Social Studies Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Three groups in Sparta

   Group	Who they were	Part in government
   Spartiates	the full citizens, men trained as soldiers; PBS estimates about 8,000 adult men	voted in the Assembly (men 30 and older), by shouting
   Perioikoi	free people in nearby towns, working as craftspeople and traders	no say in government
   Helots	enslaved people who farmed the land for the Spartiates	no say in government

   Below the chart: Sparta also had two kings, five ephors chosen each year, and a council of 28 elders over 60. With two kings, when one king led an army away, the other could keep ruling. PBS estimates that about 100,000 enslaved and partly enslaved people lived under Spartiate rule.

2. 1.

   How many ephors did Sparta have, by the chart note, Noah asks?

   • Two, like the kings
   • 28, like the council of elders
   • About 8,000, like the Spartiates
   • Five, chosen each year
3. 2.

   Which group had no say in government and also farmed the land for others, Pia asks?

   • The ephors
   • The perioikoi
   • The Spartiates
   • The helots
4. 3.

   Who voted in the Spartan Assembly, and how, by the chart, Ren asks?

   • Spartiate men 30 and older, by shouting
   • Spartiate men 30 and older, by raising hands
   • Perioikoi men 30 and older, by shouting
   • Free men from nearby towns, by shouting

5. Growing up in Athens and Sparta

   Part	Athens	Sparta
   Who ran schooling	families; boys went to school if the family could pay	the city; boys lived and trained together in the agoge
   What boys learned	reading, writing, music, poetry and sports	reading and writing, dance, and mostly sports and military training
   Boys' years of training	school from about age 5 to 14, and longer for wealthier families	from age 7, and their lives belonged to the city until age 30
   What girls learned	spinning, weaving and other household skills, at home	sports and exercise, and some reading and writing

   Below the chart: sources differ on some ages. The chart follows PBS, The Greeks, and National Geographic Education.

6. 4.

   Who ran boys' schooling in each city, by the chart, Zee asks?

   • Both: the city
   • Both: families
   • Athens: families; Sparta: the city
   • Athens: the city; Sparta: families
7. 5.

   What did girls learn in each city, by the chart, Ari asks?

   • Athens: household skills; Sparta: sports
   • Athens: household skills; Sparta: household skills
   • Athens: sports; Sparta: sports
   • Athens: sports; Sparta: household skills

8. Three groups in Sparta

   Group	Who they were	Part in government
   Spartiates	the full citizens, men trained as soldiers; PBS estimates about 8,000 adult men	voted in the Assembly (men 30 and older), by shouting
   Perioikoi	free people in nearby towns, working as craftspeople and traders	no say in government
   Helots	enslaved people who farmed the land for the Spartiates	no say in government

   Below the chart: Sparta also had two kings, five ephors chosen each year, and a council of 28 elders over 60. With two kings, when one king led an army away, the other could keep ruling. PBS estimates that about 100,000 enslaved and partly enslaved people lived under Spartiate rule.

9. 6.

   Helots farmed the Spartiates' land. What was one effect, Bo asks?

   • Spartiates had time to train
   • Perioikoi ruled Sparta
   • Helots had time to train
   • Spartiates had to farm the land
10. 7.

    Sparta had two kings. What was one effect when one king led an army away, Jun asks?

    • The other king kept ruling
    • The ephors became kings
    • The helots chose a new king
    • The Assembly closed for good
11. 8.

    Which claim does the chart support best, Kira asks?

    • All groups in Sparta had equal rights
    • Only the Spartiates had a say
    • The perioikoi shared power with the Spartiates
    • The helots chose the ephors

12. Growing up in Athens and Sparta

    Part	Athens	Sparta
    Who ran schooling	families; boys went to school if the family could pay	the city; boys lived and trained together in the agoge
    What boys learned	reading, writing, music, poetry and sports	reading and writing, dance, and mostly sports and military training
    Boys' years of training	school from about age 5 to 14, and longer for wealthier families	from age 7, and their lives belonged to the city until age 30
    What girls learned	spinning, weaving and other household skills, at home	sports and exercise, and some reading and writing

    Below the chart: sources differ on some ages. The chart follows PBS, The Greeks, and National Geographic Education.

13. 9.

    Luz's friend says Athens and Sparta raised their boys in the same way. What is the best reply?

    • Agree: both kept their boys at home until 30
    • Agree: both sent their boys to school at 7
    • Disagree: one was family-run, one city-run
    • Disagree: Athens had no schools for boys
14. 10.

    Milo's friend says Spartan girls got no training at all. What is the best reply?

    • Agree: just the boys trained in Sparta
    • Disagree: they trained in the agoge with the boys
    • Agree: they learned to spin and weave
    • Disagree: they trained in sports and exercise