ANCIENT PEOPLES

Southland Times, Issue 22915, 13 June 1936, Page 21 (Supplement)

ANCIENT PEOPLES

ATHENS AND SPARTA

Athens and Sparta were the leading city-states in Ancient Greece. Although they were only about as far apart as are Dunedin and Invercargill, they were completely different from one another in their laws, their ways of living, and nearly all t'.eir interests. Sparta was old fashioned. It had kings, two at a time in fact, and the people lived a simple lite with no luxuries and very few comforts. Their main interest was fighting and preparing for war. All male citizens had to be soldiers from the time they were 16 until they were too old to fight. It was only the slaves, or Helots, and the farmers living outside the city who were allowed to ao other work, growing and preparing food, trading, and manufacturing. The women also led this spartan or severe life, and the girls joined the boys in games

so that they should become strong and worthy mothers of future soldiers. This was all that the citizens thought about—future soldiers. Babies that were weak and never likely to grow into good soldiers had to be left outside to die. The young boys were hardened for the battlefield by having to sleep in the open without any bedding and to stand public flogging without flinching. To this end also they were expected to steal most of their food, and were punished if they were caught for not being sufficiently cunning. A very different life was lived in the city of Athens, about 400 years before Christ. Tjxe Athenians had got rid of their kings long ago, ana set up a democratic government which allowed every male citizen to discuss and vote upon important questions and to choose leaders. Their greatest statesman was Pericles who held the confidence of the people and gave the city wise government for many years. The Athenians had an army and also a very fine navy. Although, all the youths were expected to train in the army, this was by no means the chief interest of most of them. Above all they were great talkers, and spent much of their time in the streets or in the courtyards of their houses arguing about politics, discussing philosophy or talking of their games, plays, and music. Orators, and especially one cajled Demosthenes, were among fne most honoured men in the city. Of the philosophers Socrates was .the most

famous. We can still read many of his discourses which were written down, and perhaps elaborated, by Plato, one of his students. Athens itself was a beautiful city. In the middle stood a hill on which were many temples and public buildings. The temples were square, surrounded by rows of marble columns and uecorated with carved figures and scenes from the history or myths of the city. Some of these carvings, which were done by the famous sculptor Phidias for a temple called the Parthenon, are now among the greatest treasures in; the British Museum. The theatre, was built on the side of the hill. It, was open to the sky, and large enough to accommodate all the citizens to whom the state often gave free tickets for the plays of great dramatists such as Sophocles oi Euripides.

With all these interests the Ath-j enian citizens had little time fori regular work except perhaps farm*', ing. Other things were left to the slaves and foreigners who did most 1 of the manufacturing, trading and' ship-building, but had no share in the government of the city. Nei-' ther had the unfortunate Athenian women who were much less free than those of Sparta. It was not’ considered seemly for them to mterest themselves in politics, to take ( part in the games or to have much, education. They were expected tc stay at home to lock after the house, and the children and to manage the slaves. Plated Candlesticks Candlesticks of copper plated with silver were first known in London about 1760. Here is an extract from a letter written by Mr Horace Walpole on September 1, 1760, to his friend, Mr Montagu. "As I went to Lord Stafford’s I passed: through Sheffield, which is one of the foulest towns in England in the most charming situation; there are two-and-twenty thousand ln-i habitants making knives and seis- 1 sors; they remit eleven thousand; pounds a week to London. One man there has discovered the art of plating copper with silver; I bought a pair of candlesticks foij two guineas that are .quite oretiy.7