Behind the glamorous stories of heroism and the great manuscripts of philosophy, the creation and prosperity of ancient Greek city-states was not produced suddenly or easily Unlike other contemporary civilizations such as Egypt or Mesopotamia, the ancient Greeks did not have the luxury of depending on the fertile soil of a river valley for their agriculture. The different mountain ranges also did not offer the possibility of unity between the different peoples who lived there. However, the Aegean Sea proved to be a lifeline for many potential city-states, which served as a source of food, water, and trade. Settling the fertile plains from 1,100 BC to 800 BC during the Dark Ages, the ancient Greeks initially thrived in isolated poleis, where they cultivated their own distinct civilizations. One such polis that would eventually rise above the rest of ancient Greece would be the colony first established by the Ionians in Attica, Athens. Similar to other civilizations of its time, Athens began as a theocracy. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayHowever, the Athenians came to respect human intelligence more than divine beings, even if religion did not completely disappeared: "As Greek rationalism gained influence, traditional religious beliefs and restrictions were either made to conform more to the demands of reason or weakened through neglect and disuse. Great thinkers of their time, the ancient Athenians would be among the first to put aside ideals of human helplessness in the face of divine intervention or the desires of gods and demons. Rather, the Athenians based their society on the foundation of rationalism, in which logic and reason dictate human behavior and decisions. With a society based on fundamental rationalism, the Athenians would design a radical form of government that would constitute one of their sources of success and pride, democracy. The path that ultimately leads to this ideal government for Athens still has many obstacles. Athens went through many transitions in government, from "rule by one king (monarchy), to rule by land-owning aristocracy (oligarchy), to rule by one man who seized power (tyranny) and rule of the people (democracy). Cleisthenes, "a pro-democracy aristocrat", established democracy as the permanent form of government in Athens with the introduction of ostracism and the creation of the Assembly, "the supreme authority of the state open to all male citizens. After the Persian Wars, Athenian democracy grew stronger, forming the concept of isonomy and the Council of Five Hundred. Civilians thrived in the political atmosphere, although in reality aristocrats would dominate political life. Although Athens held a powerful position among other Greek city-states, it was not alone. Other centers would flourish during the Hellenistic era, a time of great progress as well as violence and tragedy, particularly Sparta. Competing in both military strength and political influence, Sparta was Athens' main adversary. Coming from the ancient Dorians settled in the Peloponnese peninsula, the Spartans were almost the complete opposite of Athenian ideals. The Spartans were a highly militarized race; the main focus of a Spartan's life was centeredon the state. Whether it was a highly trained soldier on the battlefield or a slave creating pottery, all efforts were made for the benefit of the state. Sparta was locked up; their sense of freedom meant their independence from outsiders and relied more on internal power. Citizenship was granted to those born in Sparta and whose lineage dates back to the first Dorian settlers. Sparta nevertheless, eventually elevated in status, around 500 BC Sparta would become the leader of the Peloponnesian League, an alliance of southern Greek city-states whose land forces were superior to those of any combination of Greek cities. Sparta, however, was concerned with protecting its position, not expansion. Cautious...and always fearful. Sparta viewed the Peloponnesian League as an instrument of defense rather than aggression. Seeing Athens' Delian League begin to expand around the Mediterranean only made Sparta more cautious. Conflicting views on freedom, citizenship, and protection from expansion would eventually plunge Athens' powerful Delian League and Sparta's Peloponnesian League into war. Finally, in 431 BC, Peloponnesian land forces invaded and burned Attica. In response to the first deaths in this new war, later called the Peloponnesian War, Pericles was chosen to speak on behalf of the fallen soldiers. Reconstructed and recorded in Thucydides' book on the Peloponnesian War written thirty-one years after the event, Pericles' speech for the Athenian dead stands as a humble gesture of honor and praise for the fallen soldiers. A formal ceremony solemnly performed by the Athenians during every war, the act of such a funeral ceremony demonstrates that such rituals are established by institution and tradition, rather than religious obligation. Instead of dwelling further on the subjects of death and honor, Pericles turns his attention to the current state of Athens, in which he proclaims that the state of Athens is above all: “'Let me say that our system of government [democracy] does not copy the institutions of our neighbors. It’s more about being a role model for others. » Pericles' words clearly show the praise of Athenian democracy and its superiority over others as a model. He goes on to talk about the Athenian lifestyle and leisure activities, in order to further position Athens as the pinnacle of civilization. In the next section of his speech, Pericles goes on to speak about Sparta, on many different topics, from military stratagem to the education of the youth, and even the basis of courage. He undermines the sanctity of Spartan courage, calling it "state-induced" compared to the "natural" courage of the Athenians. Pericles points out that, unlike other Greek city-states, Athens took seriously the role of citizens in its government: "...we do not say that a man who is not interested in politics is a man who minds his own business; we say he has nothing to do here. » Pericles repeatedly asserts that politics is what makes Athens and what makes a man worth living there. Returning to his point about Athenian greatness, Pericles mentions Athens' good intentions towards their neighbors "by doing good to others, and not by receiving good from them." From a biased Athenian perspective, this might be the case, since Athens created the Delian League to protect weaker city-states from foreign invasion. However, in reality, the small poleis did not favor Athenian imperialism, as they felt that Athens was simply using them.