Read the excerpt from the ancient city. middle and upper class [athenian] girls learned to read, write and probably play the lyre from a female tutor at home. they only performed physical exercises at festivals, and probably never in public as spartan girls did. but the spartans regarded physical health in girls as an important factor in producing future generations of warriors. what is the main idea of the excerpt? wealthier girls received some education. spartan girls performed exercises in public. girls had a female tutor come to their home. physical health was taught to spartan girls.