Women In Sparta

Women in Athens lived in a society dominated by men. They had very few rights and essentially, there was nothing equal about it. The education of Athenian women was to say the least, lacking. Unlike men, they weren’t taught in school by actual teachers. They were taught at home by their mothers or tutors of some sort. Much of their education focused on household skills and many men viewed women as being inferior. Women were held back from participating in the sports that were ever so popular with the men.

This shows that Spartan women were allowed more rights than in Athens. This is important because men and women should be treated equally. To sum up, Spartan women lived a better life than in Athens because of the rights they were allowed. Another reason Sparta is the better place to live is because

They had a great amount of influence despite not having a vote within the assembly. Daughters could inherit as much as a son or brother could and could inherit property. They acquired land through inheritance from their families and through marriage. The income from her own lands, she said with her husband and his income, he shared with her. Since men spent most of their time training or at war, they were granted full access and stake in the husband’s estate. Writing in the fourth century B.C., Aristotle indicated that, by the fifth century B.C., Spartan women owned two-fifths of the land (Jones, A.H. M., 136).  Her independence allowed her to express herself, be assertive, and had much more expected of them than other Greek women. Women’s tunics were worn in a way to give them a little more freedom of movement and the opportunity to reveal a little leg and thigh if they desired to (Michell, H., 47). Spartan women dominated the household, offered opinion on public matters, and held power in and outside the home. They were the forefront of society behind the man.

Athens and Sparta had different views on women. In Athens, women were secluded and restricted to their home, living separately from the men. Women were married in their mid-teen, and their role in life was domestic management and to bear sons. Athenian women could only negotiate small

Throughout the time and history most societies have deemed that men are superior to women. One era in which this train of thought was prevalent was Ancient Greece. Although the Greeks valued freedom and participation in society, that concept did not extend to women. However, the treatment of women varied greatly between the two city-states: Athens and Sparta. Women in Sparta had more rights, freedom, and equality with men than their counterparts in Athens.

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”

Spartan women received education to brighten their minds and even physical training to keep them strong there training would consist of mostly some type of gymnastics, choral song and dance. Spartan women were trained this way to keep their bodies in shape to produce healthy babies who would grow into great, strong warriors. Women had more rights than even the

In today’s society women are able to hold any position equal to that of a man. During ancient times, women were not given such opportunity. In basically all ancient civilizations, women did not have a role in society. This is especially true in ancient Greece. History has said that Athens is the place of freedom and democracy while Sparta is a restricted society. Though this might be true, that was not the case for women. Women in Homeric Greece and Sparta actually had more respect and freedom than those in Athens.

Although, there are several exceptions. The situation strongly differed when it came to life in Sparta. It is a well-known fact that Sparta was a military state that established its own rules. Women were given more freedom, however, remained in the secondary position in the society. The women had the same responsibilities as men and did not need to be escorted by a man. Unlike the woman in other Greek cities, the Spartan women had the right to take part in the sports competition and take part in the public events (Pomeroy, 2002). It might sound like a little advantage in comparison with the contemporary scope of freedoms women exploit nowadays but of the Ancient times and strict patriarchal construction of society, it was a big step towards

Chariot racing was a big deal for they had an all-girls competition. At age eighteen girls would take a fitness type of test, if pass then they can marry, if fail they were not allowed to vote or were not counted at citizens. While finding a husband, if a man looking for marriage approaches a women, a women could try to fight him, and if she succeeds she could refuse having a relationship with the man. Spartan women had to be fit because in Spartans eyes healthy mom equals healthy baby that could grow up to be a great warrior. For this reason they would have to be physically and mentally strong.

The Spartan women served as wives and were the only women able to give birth to Spartan children. This is in opposition to the other Spartan women who just served as mingling entertainment for the Spartan men’s leisure. According to Kay O’Pry, “Aristotle writes, “Among Spartans in the days of their greatness; many things were managed by their women, and “Aristotle felt that the influence of

There was such thing as Spartan Women and they were very strong, both psychically and mentally. They were educated to know about the arts, music, war, philosophy and more. They had rights that no other women in Greek had or could afford. They were the Alpha women of the Ancient Greek world. They by far had the most power. They also had the most equality afforded to them by Sparta. Spartan women had much more free than Greek women had but they still had a regiment to confirm too just as the men did. Sparta had to map for each citizen and they were expected to follow it for the good of the state and so that they could succeed. After they passed their psychical test they at the age of 18 they were then granted full citizenship for Sparta. Which meant they could now be eligible to get married and they were afforded many rights that other Greek women did not have.

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

Life in Athens and Sparta evidently shows Spartan women held more freedom and authority than their Athenian counterparts.

However, the differed in many ways. Spartan woman were well-educated, outspoken, strong and not inferior to men. That was not the case in Athens were women were basically for the purpose of reproduction and men’s pleasure.