If anyone today were given the opportunity to travel in time to live in one of those two city-‐states, Sparta should definitely be the one they chose. Sparta is far superior to Athens because their army was fierce and protective, girls received some education and women had more freedom than in other poleis.
I would rather live in Athens, because I would not be able to handle sending my seven year old boys to the military where they could be killed. Teenage girls would be getting married and having children in their teenage years, and I don't think anyone could handle that.
