Citadel Secrets Slides
Citadel Secrets
Social Structure in Ancient Greece
The Roadmap
The Social Pyramid
Who held the power and why?
Athens vs. Sparta
Two cities, two different worlds.
The Golden Age
Wealth, wisdom, and inequality.
R.A.F.T. Activity
Analyzing sources and writing back.
The Social Pyramid
Citizens
Upper Class & Free Men
Metics
Foreign Residents / Merchants
Women & Children
Limited Rights / Family Role
Enslaved People
Laborers / No Rights
Citizens
- Must be male, over 18, and born of citizen parents.
- Rights: Voting, owning property, and holding public office.
- Duties: Military service and paying taxes.
- "Freedom is the sure possession of those alone who have the courage to defend it." — Pericles
Privilege & Responsibility
The Metics
Definition: Foreign-born residents who lived in a Greek city-state.
Roles: Often traders, craftsmen, or scholars.
Status: Free people but not citizens. They couldn't vote or own land.
They were vital to the economy, bringing in goods from across the Mediterranean!
The Enslaved
The Reality
Approximately 1/3 of the population in Athens were enslaved.
They had no legal rights and were considered property.
The Work
- Mining (Silver mines at Laurium)
- Domestic service (Housework)
- Farming & Construction
- Police forces (Scythian Archers)
"Aristotle called enslaved people 'living tools.' This foundation of labor allowed citizens the leisure time to participate in politics and philosophy."
Athens: Domestic Life
Mainly stayed indoors in the Gynaikon (women's quarters).
Managed the household, weaving, and budget.
No voting, no property ownership, and usually no formal education.
"The greatest glory of a woman is to be least talked about by men."
— Thucydides (quoting Pericles)
Sparta: Strong Mothers
Physical Fitness: Trained in wrestling, running, and javelin.
Ownership: Could own and manage land and property.
Goal: Produce strong Spartan soldiers.
Spartan women were famously bold and outspoken compared to their Athenian counterparts.
Growing Up Athenian
Boys
- Educated at school (reading, math, music).
- Trained in gymnastics at the Palaestra.
- Prepared to be active citizens.
Girls
- Educated at home by their mothers.
- Learned spinning, weaving, and management.
- Prepared for marriage at age 14-16.
The Agoge: Spartan Training
7
Age boys were taken from home to begin military training.
20
Age they became full-time soldiers living in barracks.
30
Age they gained full citizenship rights.
Total Devotion to the State
At a Glance: Social Comparison
| Feature | Athens | Sparta |
|---|
| Government | Democracy | Oligarchy |
| Citizenship | Free adult males | Professional soldiers |
| Economy | Trade & Commerce | Agriculture (Helots) |
| Women | Private domestic role | Public active role |
The Golden Age
Following the Persian Wars, Athens entered a time of incredible cultural growth (c. 480–404 BCE).
- Construction of the Parthenon
- Birth of Drama & Philosophy
- Expansion of Democracy
ART
THOUGHT
VOTING
TEMPLES
Who Really Had a Voice?
CITIZENS
~15% of the population. Full political participation.
WOMEN
~35% of the population. No political voice.
METICS & SLAVES
~50% of the population. No political voice.
"Athenian democracy was direct, but very exclusive."
The Agora
The heart of the city-state. It was a marketplace AND a meeting place for gossip, philosophy, and political debate.
MEN: Discussed politics and business here.
WOMEN: Usually sent enslaved people to shop.
Your Mission
Primary Source Analysis & RAFT
1. Examine the perspectives of real people from Ancient Greece.
2. Complete the R.A.F.T. writing prompt to step into their sandals.
Remember: History is made of voices. Which one will you represent?
Greek Voices Activity
Ancient Voices
Social Structures Primary Source Analysis
Name:
Date:
To understand the lives of people in the past, we must look at what they wrote about themselves. Below are two excerpts describing the roles of different people in Greek society. Read them carefully and then answer the analysis questions.
Source A: Xenophon on Athenian Women
Athenian Perspective
"For the gods, as it seems to me, O woman, have with great forethought adapted the nature of woman to womanly, and that of man to manly works and cares. For he has made the heart and body of the man more capable of enduring cold and heat, and journeys and campaigns; and therefore he has imposed upon him the outdoor works. To the woman, since he has made her body less capable of such endurance, I think that he has assigned the indoor works."
— Xenophon, Oeconomicus (c. 360 BCE)
Source B: Plutarch on Spartan Training
Spartan Perspective
"He [Lycurgus] ordered that the maidens should exercise their bodies with racing, wrestling, and casting the quoit [disc] and the dart; to the end that the fruit they conceived might take better root and grow better, and that they themselves, being strong, might be able to go through their pains with more ease and safety."
— Plutarch, Life of Lycurgus (c. 75 CE, describing earlier laws)
Part 1: Analysis Questions
1. According to Source A, why does Xenophon believe women should work indoors? Cite specific evidence from the text.
2. In Source B, what is the primary goal of physical training for Spartan women?
3. Contrast the two views. How would an Athenian man's view of "womanly works" differ from a Spartan leader's view?
Part 2: R.A.F.T. Writing
Role • Audience • Format • Topic
Select one row from the options below and write your response in the space provided. Be sure to use at least three specific details from the lesson or the primary sources to support your writing.
| Role | Audience | Format | Topic |
|---|
| Athenian Metic | Family back home | Letter | Life in the Golden Age as a foreigner. |
| Spartan Soldier | Athenian Citizen | Journal Entry | Why the Agoge makes better men. |
| Enslaved Laborer | A New Arrival | Advice Guide | How to survive working in the silver mines. |
Selected Option:
Greek Voices Key
Teacher Answer Key
Material: Greek Voices Activity
Confidential
Part 1: Analysis Questions
1. According to Source A, why does Xenophon believe women should work indoors? Cite specific evidence from the text.
Answer Guidelines: Students should note that Xenophon believes the gods "adapted the nature of woman" for indoor work. Evidence includes that their bodies are "less capable" of enduring "cold and heat, and journeys and campaigns," which he considers manly/outdoor work.
2. In Source B, what is the primary goal of physical training for Spartan women?
Answer Guidelines: The primary goal was to ensure they could produce strong children. By being strong themselves, the children they "conceived might take better root" and the women could endure childbirth with "more ease and safety."
3. Contrast the two views. How would an Athenian man's view of "womanly works" differ from a Spartan leader's view?
Answer Guidelines: Athenians viewed "womanly work" as domestic and private (indoors), focusing on weaving and household management. Spartan leaders viewed "womanly work" as including public physical training and strength to ensure the health of the state's future soldiers.
Part 2: R.A.F.T. Grading Rubric
| Criterion | Exceeds (5 pts) | Meets (3 pts) | Emerging (1 pt) |
|---|
| Historical Accuracy | Uses 4+ specific historical details correctly. | Uses 2-3 specific historical details correctly. | Vague or inaccurate details; less than 2 used. |
| Role & Voice | Perspective is clear and consistent throughout. | Perspective is mostly clear; minor slips. | Role is unclear or voice is generic. |
| Format & Structure | Follows selected format perfectly (e.g., uses "Dear..."). | Mostly follows format. | Ignores format requirements. |
Key Historical Details to Look For:
- Metic: Payment of taxes, lack of land ownership, living in the Agora, trade influence.
- Spartan: Agoge training, physical toughness, living in barracks, duty to the state.
- Enslaved: Silver mines (Laurium), manual labor, lack of rights, "living tools" concept.
Greek Power Teacher Guide
Greek Power Play
Teacher Implementation Guide
Duration
60 MIN
Lesson Pacing
00-05
Hook & Objectives (Slides 1-2)
Quickly define "social hierarchy" and ask students why some groups might have more power than others in a society.
05-25
Direct Instruction (Slides 3-10)
Walk through the pyramid and city-state differences. Use the "Discussion Points" below to increase engagement.
25-35
Golden Age & Democracy (Slides 11-14)
Focus on the contradictions of the "Golden Age"—incredible wealth and culture alongside slavery and exclusion.
35-60
Ancient Voices Activity (Worksheet)
Students analyze primary sources (Part 1) and then select their RAFT role (Part 2).
Slide-by-Slide Discussion
Slide 6: The Enslaved
Ask: "Aristotle called enslaved people 'living tools.' What does this say about how Athenian citizens valued individual people?"
Slide 8: Women of Sparta
Ask: "Spartan women had more rights than Athenian women, but it was all for the state. Is this true 'freedom'?"
Slide 11: Athens vs Sparta
Ask: "If you were a non-citizen (Metic), which city would you rather live in? Why?"
Slide 13: Democracy
Ask: "Can we really call Athens a democracy if only 15% of the population could vote?"
Key Vocabulary
- Metic — Foreign resident
- Agoge — Spartan training
- Helot — Spartan serf/slave
- Oligarchy — Rule by a few
Common Misconceptions
Students often think Spartan women were soldiers. While they trained physically, they did not go to war. Their role was to manage the home while men were in barracks.
