Paedeia , the education system of the Greeks, was highly structured and generally, a large important part of society2. The education of ancient Greece affects the systems of Educations that exist today all over the world, though much has been changed2. However, the education systems of Greece were different, especially when comparing Sparta and Athens, two Greek places with very different people, government, and education. .
In Athens, students were taught from both their homes and schools2. Education was generally a privilege2. Until seven, children would be taught by male slaves or mothers, afterwards, they were sent to a primary school in the neighborhood or a private school2. After that, boys often went to engage in higher education2. The purpose of education was to create citizens with abilities in the arts, including the arts of war and peace2. Unlike the Spartans, the Athenians had a much greater embracement of love and beauty in the world, and applied it in their daily lives and teachings; this is also reflected in the many Greek writings and sculptors from Athens . Though girls were not sent to school, many were educated to read2, weave, and write at home, and many also pursued art and music classes privately . At the time in history, books were both expensive and rare, so students were encouraged to read out loud and memorize all their lessons2. In their studies, tablets and rulers would be utilized to help the studious Athenians in their work2.
From sixteen to fourteen, boys would be sent to a primary or private school2. In these schools, one of the main objectives was to learn about Homer, a Greek epic poet2. Also, students often learned musical instruments such as the lyre or the flute2. Other than that, the teachers, usually male, decided what to teach their class2. Other examples of what the students might learn were drama, art, government, grammar, rhetoric, philosophy, astronomy, public speaking, reading, writing, or math2.