The Greek Gods were much more down-to-earth and much less
awesome than the remote gods of the East. Because they were
endowed with human qualities and often represented aspects of
the physical world--such as the sun, the moon, and the sea--they
were closer to man and to the world he lived in. The Greeks,
therefore, could find spiritual satisfaction in the ordinary,
everyday world. They could develop a secular life free from the
domination of a priesthood that exacted homage to gods remote
from everyday life. The goal of education in the Greek city-
states was to prepare the child for adult activities as a
citizen. The nature of the city-states varied greatly, and this
was also true of the education they considered appropriate. Both
daily life and education were very different in Sparta, than in
Athens or in the other ancient Greek city-states. With the
exception of the Athenians (who thought Athens was the best!),
Greeks from other city-states had a grudging admiration for the
Spartans. They wouldn't want to b