The rivalry between ancient Athens and Sparta is infamous—but they may have been more 'frenemies' Despite being rivals, many Athenians admired the government, clothing, and austerity of the ...

Athens and Sparta represented for classical thinkers distinct and opposing regimes. Democratic Athens took pride in its freedom, openness, and accomplishments in the arts and philosophy.

In 378 B.C., Athens formed the second naval confederacy, a group that challenged Spartan control of the seas. Ultimately, however Sparta's downfall came, not from Athens, but from a city named Thebes.

In Athens, on the other hand, in his famous Funeral Oration, the orator Pericles gallingly told Athenian women that the best thing they could do for the city was stay home and out of the public eye.

The Spartans are famous today because of their reputation as fearsome soldiers, to which films like 300 and athletic events like the “Spartan Race” attest. Athens, on the other hand, is famous ...

In Ancient Greece, Athens was known for its philosophers, scientists, and theorists of democracy. Sparta was known for its military prowess, its bravery and its ability to defend itself against ...

Many self-professed champions of freedom throughout the centuries have looked to ancient Sparta as an inspiration. The doomed stand of 300 Spartan warriors against the Persian Empire at ...