Rhythms of Life. The amount of leisure time, and the rhythms of daily life, varied tremendously according to location and class. Rich people in Athens and other large cities were not expected to work and would spend their days participating in politics, gossiping, training in the gumnasion (gymnasium), or perhaps engaging in intellectual pursuits. In Sparta, a strict military training regimen reduced the amount of leisure time for all classes. Everywhere and at all times working people and farmers had less leisure time, although this varied seasonally (especially for farmers) and during major civic festivals.

Sundials. Time was structured differently for the ancient Greeks than it is for the modern world. In a society with only poor means of illumination, the daylight hours were too valuable to waste: the habit of getting up at dawn was nearly universal. A further...