Final answer:
Spartal was a militaristic oligarchy with a disciplined, uniform society, while Athens celebrated the arts and established a direct democracy where all adult male citizens could participate. Despite both relying on a slave population, their cultural values and governance diverged.
Step-by-step explanation:
Differences Between Spartan Oligarchy and Athenian Democracy
The Spartan cosmos and Athenian democracy differed significantly in their social structures, values, and governmental systems.
Sparta was characterized by a militaristic and austere way of life, emphasizing uniformity, discipline, and an oligarchic government structure led by two kings, which maintained a strong social hierarchy and kept a large number of helots, or state-owned slaves.
In contrast, Athens celebrated art, music, and drama, and was known for its open society that fostered ideas, commerce, and trade, and it is heralded as the birthplace of direct democracy, where all adult male citizens had the right to participate in government, although it too was supported by a large slave population.
During the classical age, Athens achieved military prowess, especially in naval warfare, which led to the establishment of the Delian League—a coalition originally aimed at fending off the Persians and liberating Ionian colonies, but which eventually served as a vehicle for Athenian imperial ambition.
Sparta, on the other hand, had a more insular approach, with a society focused on producing highly disciplined soldiers and maintaining their status as the dominant military land-power in Greece, supported by their unique social system and rigid training known as the agoge.
The ideological and cultural contrasts between these two city-states culminated in the Peloponnesian War. This conflict, pitting the two dominant Greek powers against each other, underscored the different paths of adventure and safety that Athens and Sparta represented.
The war's end saw the temporary downfall of Athenian democracy and the imposition of an oligarchic tyranny, although the democratic system was eventually restored, demonstrating the resilience of Athenian political ideals.