Question

Athenians are recognized as the inventors of democracy, or rule by the people. They held elections and voted for their ruler. Women, slaves, and foreigners were not allowed to vote, as Athens was mainly ruled by men.


In Passage 2, what was most likely the author’s purpose in including information about Sparta’s agoge system?
A. to demonstrate how unequal men’s and women’s rights were in this society
B. to point out how the government trained some of its citizens to become servants
C. to highlight the reason why boys in Athens spent most of their time in school
D. to emphasize the culture’s overall focus on its people growing up strong and healthy

Answer 1

D. The agoge illustrates Sparta’s cultural emphasis on raising citizens who were physically strong and healthy (trained for military life), so the author included it to emphasize that focus.