Arron's Daily Life Essay - Education

In the years between 479 B.C. and 431 B.C. Athens was at its strongest. It was the center of wisdom in all of Greece. Culture was flourishing and education was being revolutionized. Athenian education was different in the way that it prepared Athens’s young citizens for what is to come. Athenian teachers trained children,(only boys) about the arts, specifically architecture, as well as arithmetic, literature, sports and many other classes. The tuition was also very low, so that even children from poor families could attend the schools. The structure of Athenian education was well organized as well as the the richness of the education and how deep the classes were. Their education also fit in well with their government which was very democratic. Overall, Athenian education was one of the strongest educations in the ancient world, it is unfortunate it didn’t last too long.

The young boys begin school at the 6 and 7. They continued until at least age 13 or 14. Usually, children from poorer families leave school at this time. However, children from wealthier families continued on. While in school, children learned reading, writing, poetry, arithmetic, literature, music, architecture and sports. At age 18, these young men went to military school to learn to fight and learn the art of war. This way, every male citizen knew how to fight in case of a military emergency. At the age of 20, military training ended , however it was possible to continue. There was also something for usually wealthier young men, it was a higher education. These classes usually began at age 16 and taught rhetoric and philosophy. Rhetoric was very important because, “The ability to speak in public was not only the hallmark of a well-educated gentleman but also a vital attribute to anyone who wished to make a mark for himself in a democratic society,” (Robert Garland). The road through education was an especially long one for the Athenian child. But in the end, it was a citizen prepared for the life ahead of them with all the skills they would need. Solon, an early reformer with his own idea of justice said it the best, “ We fan into flame their minds with music and arithmetic first, and we teach them to write and read their letters. As they progress, we recite for them sayings of wise men...and are motivated to imitate them,” (Solon).

The Athenian system of government was unlike any other system of education. They gave anyone the opportunity to have an education, but the education itself was so strong and it covered so many aspects of life so the young citizens felt like they had a choice. Perhaps it was the freedom of choice along with the power of knowledge that made Athens a center of wisdom in the ancient world.