Ancient Greek Woman

Athenian society was very dynamic in many areas while it was strict in regard to the treatment of women. Although Athenian women were protected by the state and did not know a different way of living, they were very stifled and restricted. The only exception was slaves, and heteria, prostitutes, and this was due to the fact that they had no male guardians. Since these women were on there own they had to take care of themselves, and therefore were independent. In a more recent and modern way of viewing the role of a woman, independence and freedom to do as one likes is one of the most important aspects of living. In Athens the wives had none of this freedom and the prostitutes did. Who then really had a “better”

Women in modern day society are somewhat different then the women back then in Greek society. Women now a days wouldn’t probably wait for their husbands if they were gone for over 20 years, women aren’t as faithful as they were in Greek society. Women also now have jobs and they earn money themselves and don’t normally depend on their husbands for money. Women now also can go and get an education, women in Greek society didn’t go to school to get a job or learn they would have to stay at home and work while their husbands went out to fight in wars, or earn money. Women were more subservient back then they were today. Most women now are independent and don’t rely on their husbands. Many women are able to raise a family being single, women also can have their own house and pay bills by themselves. Women of today are strong in character, and also strong in general. If their in a bad relationship they are smart enough to get out of the horrible relationship. In Greek society you

Women were divided in to two groups, those of wives and those of non-wives. The wives group included both current wives and those with potential as future wives. The non-wives group was subdivided into further groups. Women who lived in brothels were treated much as slaves with little freedom. Some non-wives offered their services on the streets, and could barter prices with customers but were required to wear certain garments to ensure they were recognized in public places. A more desirable role of the non-wives is the hetera. This woman, more than an object, was capable of entertaining the men. They were often sought out to entertain the men during Symposiums with conversation, songs, and music. These women could become self sustaining and own homes and live life as they pleased. Concubine women enjoyed perhaps the most beneficial lives as kept mistresses of men. They were provided homes and cared for by primarily one man. Women were used at the disposal of men and their whims throughout the society.

A woman’s place was supposed to be at home, in both Sparta and Athens, but the capacity in which they were supposed to be at home differed substantially. In Athens, it was compulsory for women to be acquiescent and compliant. They were supposed to stay home most of the time, bearing, nourishing and taking care of the children, spinning and weaving clothes, keeping the home clean and tidy, preparing food or overseeing the preparation of food by the servants; women from Sparta were the complete opposite of the women in Athens, they were allowed to keep property with the over seeing of the male counterpart, which according to Aristotle, said that in 4th BCE, 405 Sparta was owned by women, and may have contributed to

Unlike their husbands, Athenian women were forced to stay indoors at all times. They were controlled by their fathers through childhood and by their husbands after marriage. Mostly uneducated, except for learning how to read, they spent their time managing the household and slaves. They were only allowed to leave the house to attend certain religious festivals.

However, ancient Athenian and Egyptian women did have some similarities regarding their role in society. They were both allowed to become priestesses and attend religious ceremonies, even though there were different circumstances required at times. Low ranking government positions were made available to them if their husbands and therefore, by extension themselves, were considered to be upper class. Both were given the role as the main caretaker of the house in aspects such as cleanliness and upkeep, as well as caring for the children. Limited citizenship or none at all, depending on the husbands status in society, was granted to women in both ancient civilizations (Schaps 1979, 4-16; Joust 1989, 9-18; Harris 1992, 309-321; Robins 1993, 56-156).

A man could divorce his selected wife for any reason that he desired, though if the reason was other than adultery then the man was forced to give up one half of his property to his wife. Greek woman were possessions to society as well, they had limited freedom, but could not own any property because they were not considered citizens.

Athenian women spent most of their lives in their home unless they were poor and had to help the husband with work preforming skills such as farming, crafting or a similar trade. In Athens, it was a status symbol for women to have very white, pale skin to show that they were so upscale that they never had to leave their house to make any income. Some women

Greek Woman was considered to be submissive which means once you are married to a woman, then she is in your full control. The woman in ancient was not allowed to own the property, in one way we can also relate that the woman had fewer rights than the man because they could hardly express their feeling. The woman was not considered as the citizens.

In Ancient Greek society, the typical roles of men and women were pretty simple. Men were at the top of society. They were the rulers and lawmakers. Men owned everything, leaving women no choice, but to

   Ancient Greek society treated women as secondary citizens. Restrictions were placed on the social and domestic actions of many aristocratic women in ancient Athens.  The women depicted in Homer's Odyssey, on the other hand, are the ideal.  Penelope, Clytaemestra, Athena, and Helen are all women with exceptional liberty and power.

Women’s role in Greece can be seen when one first begins to do research on the subject. The subject of women in Greece is coupled with the subject of slaves. This is the earliest classification of women in Greek society. Although women were treated differently from city to city the basic premise of that treatment never changed. Women were only useful for establishing a bloodline that could carry on the family name and give the proper last rites to the husband. However, women did form life long bonds with their husbands and found love in arranged marriages. Women in Athenian Society Women are “defined as near slaves, or as perpetual minors” in Athenian society (The Greek World, pg. 200). For women life didn’t

Women were subject to an education that consisted of “weaving and other household chores, dancing, music, and physical education. Girls were trained for marriage while boys were educated to become warriors,” (Tres 6). Women were given this education to prepare them to be domesticated. All women in ancient Greece were to be married and to be good wives to their husbands. They were taught how to dance and sing to give them

Daily life was one of the most distinguishable factors of Athenian and Spartan women, and it varied depending on social status. The communal job of Athenian women was confinement to daily life in their domain; the home or ‘oikos’, immersing themselves in domestic activities. This notion was verified by ancient writer Xenophon; “…Thus, to be woman it is more honourable to stay indoors than to abide in the fields…” .They were responsible for various jobs in order to support their families including cooking meals and producing textiles. The majority of affluent women had established slave work in their homes; hence they verified their decadence by not partaking in laborious work

This portrays how she was seen as someone with power and authority, but let us not forget in the Greek culture women are not allowed to