7Athenian men spent much leisure time at the Gymasium as pyshical ability was very important to them. The also enjoyed having dinner and drinking parties with small groups of friends (about 7 to 17 people). Athenian education was traditionally culturally biased, yet with the new Sophist movement of the 430's boys and men were encouraged to question aspects of their life that they had taken for granted.
There were many favorite meeting places for Athenian men, one of the more important ones was the gymnasia or the training grounds. There were three gymnasia in and around Athens, the Lykeion, the Academy and Cynosarges. All were sacred groves beside a stream. The main feature of a gymnasium was its running track, but there were usually also a palaistra, or wrestling ground, as well as jumping pits and areas for discus and javelin practice. The buildings included bathrooms and an oil-store and a dust-room, for athletes to rub olive oil on their bodies and dust themselves lightly before wrestling or the pankration (this was a violent sport, combining boxing and wrestling). Physical training and fitness was very important for the Greeks - for military purposes, as well as be healthy and strong generally. Under the supervision of their paidotribes (trainer) wealthy Athenian boys would learn to run, do long jump with weights in their hands, to throw the discus and javelin and to wrestle, as these were the events that made up the pentathlon. Men could then go on to compete in one of the great 'crown games' at Olympia, Delphi, Corinth or Nemea, which would give himself and his city glory and honour. A more minor game was the festival competition in Athens. The most popular sport was the horse and chariot races, only available to the wealthy who could afford these things, but were very exciting to watch.
Dinner parties were common entertainment and socializing events for citizen men, and the andron (men's room) was designed mainly for holding dinner and drinking parties (symposia). Couches were placed around the edges of the room for the men to lie on and the place of honor was to the right of the door. Men wore loose robes, garlands around their heads and perfume on their bodies. Next to each couch were small rectangle tables (which were removed when the serious drinking began). Wine was always diluted with water, as it was very powerful. There were different dilutions of wine available for people, depending on who wanted to get drunk or stay relatively sober. Offerings of wine were made and a hymn was sung to honour the gods. Entertainment was always provided in the form of music, with Aulos (girls playing the pipe). Dancers and acrobats were also sometimes employed for the evening. Citizen women were expressly forbidden at dinner parties, as it was thought that they were untrustworthy. There were well- known drinking songs that were sung to the lyre, often about politics, and guests took turns to perform. Kottabos was a game played often, either by flicking wine at a target or by trying to sink a saucer floating on water. Other guests enjoyed making sexual advances to the slaves of either sex.
Education traditionally aimed to turn boys into gentlemen. This was achieved in various ways, but learning as it is today was not highly important; instrument playing, athletic ability and courtesy were the ingredients desired in every gentleman. Boys would be accompanied to school from the age of 5 by a paidagogos (a trusted slave) who supervised him all day, every day. The whole emphasis of traditional education was on character training, cultural skills and fitness. Learning of lyric poetry by heart and having musical skills was essential to Traditional education and was often valued more highly than intelligence and knowledge. Education was not state-provided and free, so the people who benefited most were the wealthy who could afford to stay in school longer, although most men had some basic literary skills. The Sophist Movement was the 'new' education available in Athens during the 430's and 420's. The Sophists were non- Athenian experts who taught various skills at high prices, especially the skills of persuasion, verbal analysis and clear argument. Unlike traditional education, which was aristocratic and culturally aimed, the new education provided a more critical and skeptical frame of mind in which boys were encouraged to question parts of life.
Athenian men spent much leisure time at the gymnasium as it was prized very important that men kept themselves physically fit. Dinner parties were also often held with small groups of people and entertainment was provided. Education changed a lot with the new Sophist movement of the 430's as boys were encouraged to think and question aspects of their lives.