Role Of Women In Ancient Greece

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

For this reason women in ancient Greece seemed inferior socially. But the women were isolated in their homes and did not mix in the society of men. What the men thought may not have been that important to the women.

Women in Ancient Rome enjoyed a slightly better life than those in Ancient Greece. Roman men "placed a very high value on marriage, home and the family and this made quite a difference to society's treatment of women" (Thompson, 2005). Women still were passed from their father's supervision to their husbands, but enjoyed a more important role. While women could not hold

Gender roles and relationships of Greek were not equal. Women were seen as weaker begins and men had most of the control over the women. Women born of two Athenian parents were considered citizens with partial legal protection. They had the responsibilities for performing certain religious rituals of great important for the state. Unfortunately, like slaves, they were excluded from attending meetings of the assembly, holding annual public offices, serving

Throughout history, the roles of women and men have always differed to some degree. In ancient Greece, the traditional roles were clear-cut and defined. Women stayed home to care for children and do housework while men left to work. This system of society was not too far off the hunter gatherer concept where women cared for the house and the men hunted. Intriguingly enough, despite the customary submissive role, women had a more multifaceted role and image in society as juxtaposed with the rather simple role men played. Morals for the two were also different. Men obviously had the upper hand with women being the traditional passive.

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.

Women however, were not allowed to attend school. Women stayed at home and learned the trades of 
housekeeping and parenting, although a few prosperous families hired private tutors to educate their daughters. There were even a handful of very wise and educated Athenian women! Even though select women could be educated, there was one thing Athenian women could never do, no matter how wealthy they were. This was to be a citizen.

In Athens, there was a lot of opportunity for a male. An Athenian male could become a scholar, poet, politician, or pretty much anything they wanted; but females on the other hand, didn 't have that power. Men was under the understanding that females were incapable of making reasonable decisions in the political world. The idea of gender equality was non-existent in the Athens society. As said by Historian Don Nardo “throughout antiquity most Greek women had few or no civil rights and many enjoyed little freedom of choice or mobility.” He also stated “aside from poetry, women’s writing survives only in private letters written on papyrus preserved by ancient of nature, only from Hellenistic and Roman Egypt.” (O’Pry 2012) Women in the Athens society that were in an upper class were

   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

Athenian women were relegated to the status of child bearers and keepers of the household. There was no room for personal expression or freedom and the strict

Ancient Greek society was ahead of its time politically speaking. Indeed they iniciated the concept of democracy. Of course, this democracy did not include everyone in Greece; male citizens dominated society and had full legal status. They were divided in three classes depending on wealth. Females on the other hand had few rights, they were obliged to stay at home and bear children. Once married to a man chosen by their father, women were under the authority of their husband. Divorce were tolerated under three conditions : Repudation by the husband, he did not need justification and had to return the dowry; the wife could leave the family home but it would bring shame on her; finaly the bride's father

The way women were treated was nothing compared to how the men were treated. There was no equality in this male dominated society which made it difficult for women to play a key role. Women faced obstacles on a daily basis and commonly endured hardships because of their gender. Women were primarily responsible for domestic chores around the house and taking care of the children. The most valuable thing a woman could do was become pregnant with a child, however in Greek civilization having a boy was more favored. If women gave birth to a girl it was

In Athens, Ancient Greece, it was hard to be a woman because women were not only considered the weaker sex next to men, but also had very little rights, “Our noble magistrate, why waste you words on these sub-human creatures…” (Aristophanes 199). The women of Athens around 400 B.C.E. were mainly seen as sexual objects and housewives, not by only the men, but the women themselves. This shows in Aristophanes writing: