We shall see later whether Lycurgus’s idea was right.
North of Sparta was another great city of Greece called Athens. There were, of course, many other towns in Greece, but Sparta and Athens were the most important. In Athens the people lived and thought quite differently from those in Sparta.
The Athenians were just as fond of everything beautiful as the Spartans were of discipline and of everything military.
The Athenians loved athletic games of all sorts just as the Spartans did, but they also loved music and poetry and beautiful statues, paintings, vases, buildings, and such things that are known as the “arts.”
The Athenians believed in training the mind as well as the body. The Spartans believed the training of the body was the all-important thing. Which do you like better, the Athenians’ idea or the Spartans’ idea?
Once at a big game a very old man was looking for a seat on the Athenians’ side. There was no seat empty, and no Athenian offered to give him one. Whereupon the Spartans called to the old man and gave him the best seat on their side. The Athenians cheered the Spartans to show how fine they thought this act. At this the Spartans said:
“The Athenians know what is right but they don’t do it.”
15
The Crown of Leaves
Greek boys and young men and even girls loved all sorts of outdoor sports.