by Priscilla Babiolakis

Created on: December 12, 2008   Last Updated: December 15, 2008

Education throughout the Ancient World - most specifically in Ancient Greece - right up to modern day has changed significantly. This important aspect of life was then, and still is, today the back bone of society and the grounding for the future. Education in Greece was never uniform, and differed according to region. Whether learning to write using tablets of stone, pen and ink, it's the value placed on the progression of life that is significant and what it represents.

To illustrate this we look at the comparison between education systems and values in Ancient Sparta and Athens.

Ancient Greece refers to a specific period in history; from the end of the Greek Dark Ages in 1100 BC to 146 BC the same year the Romans were victorious in the Battle of Corinth. This period is important as it saw the beginning of the decline of the Ancient Greek Empire.

The Roman Empire was greatly influenced by Greek culture, spreading it through much of Europe. The Ancient Greek civilization had a powerful effect on language, educational systems, politics, science, philosophy and the arts. This became known as the beginning of the Renaissance in Western Europe. Various neo-Classical renewals of interest during the 18th and 19th centuries in Europe and the Americas brought the progressiveness of Ancient Greece to attention one again.

The Greek Gods preformed an important role in education during these ancient times. It was because the gods were endowed with human-like qualities, they frequently depicted aspects of the physical world, such as the ocean, the moon and sun and forests.

Greeks found their spiritual satisfaction in the typical, everyday world. This was an important sector in their lives and teachings. The goal of education was to prepare children to take on the adult responsibilities and activities of a citizen.

However, in the city of Sparta education and daily life was hugely different to that in Athens. Spartans were renowned for their strength, and Greeks from the other states in the country admired them - albeit reluctantly.

The educational goal in Sparta was to produce strong soldier citizens. Sparta was a military and authoritarian state, and it was of prime importance that this ideal was respected from an early age. Loyalty was ranked as one of the highest of achievements, among this highly trained and disciplined marching army.

The tuition of men during this period was first and foremost. The patriotic Spartans were great believers in their state, and believed it required

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