Athens was a city that was proud of its education, its arts and its music. But they also realised that they had to defend themselves. So their schooling was in three stages with military training at the end. Very young children were taught at home, often by a slave. When they were about six, boys went to school, while girls continued to be taught at home.

Of course, this was a time when books were very rare, expensive things that had to be produced by hand. So the boys had to memorise everything they learned. They also had wax tablets and pointed sticks which they could use to learn to write (schools in Britain used the same kind of system (slate and chalk) into the 20th century). Athenian boys learned the works of the poet Homer, and they also learned to play a musical instrument, often the lyre. The teacher could also teach how to act in a play, ideas of government and anything else he wanted. They also spent much of their time doing healthy exercise. When they reached eighteen years of age, all boys had to go into military school until the age of 20.

1. Schooling in Athens