Sparta- The ancient Greeks were very religious as a whole. They used different forms of art to portray their important values. Gender roles also played an important role in their culture as men ran the government and women had very limited freedoms. The Spartan’s political mindset was entirely war. The law restricted Spartan males from being anything other than a soldier. Sparta’s economy depended on was dependent on conquering land and farming. They used slaves to produce its goods as most Spartans spent their entire lives being soldiers. The Spartan non-citizens were called perioikoi. The perioikoi were free men that would serve in the army when needed. Sparta had a highly unusual system of government. Two kings ruled the city, but a 28-member 'council of elders' limited their powers.
Athens- Sculpture and painting flourished making Athens a center of intellectual life. Dance and theatre, recitals, concerts international trade shows, conferences and symposia, public lectures, gallery exhibits, sports events and marathons, an integral part of life in this bustling cosmopolitan capital. The Athens political government developed into an Athenian Democracy in its early developmental stages. People were able to vote and contribute to the government.During the seventh century, the athenians relied on the increasing volume of maritime trade, which brought prosperity to Attica, which brought prosperity to Athens.The social class system of Ancient Athens was very similar to structures in other cultures. There was a well-defined upper, middle, and lower class as well as a separate slave class.
Ptolemaic Empire- The Ptolemaic Empire was very diverse; it included Phoenicians, Arabs, Jews, and Babylonians. This meant that the majority of the peoples were vastly different from each other, and came from different backgrounds. At the mouth of the nile river, Alexandria served as the political headquarters; overtime, it became more of a bureaucratic center instead of the headquarters it was originally meant to be. The relationship with neighboring Greeks, Macedonians, and Egyptians lead to the great diversity in their peoples. Much of the economy was based on the maintaining of irrigation networks and the monitoring of the cultivation of crops and the payment of taxes. The Ptolemaic Empire was based off a social structure mostly based off of that from the Egyptians rather than the Greeks. The ruler acted despotically. Soldiers were critical for Ptolemaic power.