A Woman's Role In Ancient Greece

Running head: A WOMAN'S ROLE IN ANCIENT GREECE: 1000-500 BC

A Woman's Role in Ancient Greece: 1000-500 BC

A Woman's Role in Ancient Greece

Most people can relate the city of Athens to freedom and democracy, as well as relate the city of Sparta to a highly restricted military dictatorship. This is because school has taught us that modern democracies are modeled after Athens, while military dictatorships are modeled after Sparta. However, history shows us that women had much more liberty in Sparta than in Athens. In fact, the democracy of Athens was available only to free men who were citizens of Athens. Moreover, to claim citizenship, an Athenian had to prove that both his parents were "astoi." For the father, being "astos" meant he was an Athenian citizen, but the mother could not be a citizen. Women were never citizens, but only able to transmit the rights of citizenship to their sons (Perry et al., 1992, Pages 60-61). On the other hand, Sparta provided more liberty for more people, especially women. This belief goes against current society beliefs, but there is an abundance of evidence to support this theory.

Both Athenian and Spartan women lived much of their lives separately from the men of their societies. Athenian men spent the majority of their time away discussing politics and philosophy, but when they went home they expected obedience from their wives. No Athenian citizen would ever admit that he took advice from a woman. Spartan men were gone even more, since they were soldiers. Only the men held official office, but everyone recognized the influence of women in decision making. Spartan women gained freedom from male domination, but they were not likely to get any emotional support from their marriages. The men of Athens had to be the boss in public, but not necessarily in the home behind closed doors. In Athens, the men held public power, but in Sparta the state held public power (Perry et al., 1992, Pages 60-61).

The difference between the two cultures in women's freedom is also obvious when examining style of clothing. Athenian wives wore plain, modest clothing. Only prostitutes were allowed to wear jewelry or bright colors in public. Spartan women, on the other hand, wore tunics in a way that gave them a little more freedom of movement and the opportunity to reveal a little of their legs if they desired. Both cultures closely associated fashions in clothing with morality.

With regard to education, the difference is striking. Athenian women were taught how to perform household chores, but they were discouraged from learning to read and write. Spartan women, on the other hand, received basically the same education as men, including physical education, as well as academics. Also, Spartan women were free to leave their homes without fear of being labeled as a prostitute or a slave, and they could fulfill strong roles in their society (Minnesota State University, 2002).

Most Greek women did not get an education at all. The famous philosopher Aristotle said: "It is advantageous for animals to be governed by menÐ'...between the sexes, the male is by nature superior and the female inferior, the male ruler and the female subject" (Finnegan, 1995). This concept explains and justifies why they thought that it was necessary for men to hold power over women. On the other hand, the philosopher Plato said, "Man and women with the same natural ability should receive the same education and training and to the same kind of work. Hence there will be female guardians and rulers, as well as male ones" (Grube, 1992, Page 37)

Most Athenian philosophers believed that women had strong emotions and weak minds, so of course they had to be protected from themselves and prevented from harming others. Guardianship was the system developed to deal with this perceived quality in women. Every woman in Athens had a kyrios or guardian who was either her closest male relative or her husband. Although she could own her own clothing, jewelry, personal slave, and purchase inexpensive items; she was not allowed to buy anything expensive, own property, or enter into any contract (Thompson, 2002). Only the men could inherit property. If there were no male heirs, then the daughters husband would inherit the property (Thompson, 2002). Soon after puberty, Athenian girls normally married men in their late twenties or early thirties. The woman's primary duty was bearing children and managing the household. Athenian wives were expected to stay inside their homes, except when attending funerals and festivals of the cults that were open to women. A woman who was seen outside of her home was assumed to be a slave, prostitute, concubine or a woman so poor that she had to work. Child care, spinning and weaving were the most important activities in the daily routine of the good wife (Cantarella, Eva &, Lefkowitz, 1987, Pages 116-117).

However, there were some notable exceptions. For example, there was Hipparchia, a philosopher of the Cynic school. "She was able to marry and educate herself at the same time. Respectable women, the wives, mothers, sister, and daughters of classical Greece, were not allowed to participate in the educational, cultural, or political life of their communities." (Kersey, 1989, Page 107)

Life was rough and simple for both the man and the woman in Sparta. Boys left home at the age of

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