Ancient Greece
e e k i L a d
M R M P E
y a n L o w e a d h a v
P a t e l
a h e l i P a t e l m m a
P a t r i m o n i o
The Roles of Women
Marriage Childbearing
Political Rights
Social Life, House Chores
Artistic Models
Varying Positions in
Society
“The
greatest glory
for women is to be
least talked about among men,
whether in praise or blame”
Submissive Female
Thucydides
WO
MEN
’S R
OLES
Marriage (aka “Ekdosis”)
FATHER chooses husband
MEN exchange dowry
HUSBAND obtains new “property”
Marriage: A Transaction Between Two Men
Father
Husband
Birth To Boys, Not
Girls
Childbearing AS a Process
Baby GirlBaby Boy
Father Chooses
Life
or Death
Father Owns Children… … But
Mother Raises Them
The Goal Birth Life or
DeathUp-
bringing
Women’s Primary Duty in Life: To Bear Children
Political RightsProperty
Ownership
Property Acquisition
Economic Transaction
s
Political Power
Education
Man Womanü X
ü X
ü X
ü X
ü X
VS.
Social Life
Participating in Outside Events: Prohibited
Wandering Outside: Scandalous
The Outdoors: A Dangerous Place
The Exceptions: Very Rare
and House Chores
Cooking
Cleaning
Weaving/Sewing
Principles of a Woman’s Social Life
Domestic Responsibilities
Women as Artistic Models
Exploited and
Contained Beings
Disruptive Forces
Asexual Virgins
Common Depictions:
Interestingly enough, the seemingly “glamorous” depictions of women were more meaningful than what they appeared to be.
Varying Positions in Society
Housework
Social Lives
Reputation and
Respect
Education and
Rights
Nobility vs. Lesser Folk
Nobility
Lesser Folk
No Education; Illiterate
Unique Lifestyles in Different Regions: Sparta
Own/Manage Property
Learn to Read/Write
Manage Town More Rights at the Cost of Harder
Lifestyle
The End (Citations)
Works CitedAdkins, Lesley. “The family.” Handbook to Life in Ancient Greece. New York:
Facts on File, Inc., 1997. Print.
Fox-Genovese, Elizabeth. "Women in Society." Grolier Multimedia
Encyclopedia. Grolier Online, 2012. Web. 10 Oct. 2012
Graham, Casey. "Ancient Athenian Women." Ancient Athenian Women. N.p.
Web. 16 Oct 2012. <http://www.angelfire.com/ca3/ancientchix/>.
Scott, Michael. “The Rise of Women in Ancient Greece.” History Today 59.11
(2009): 34-40. Print.
Vivante, Bella. “Women in Ancient Greece.” Women’s Roles in Ancient
Civilizations. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999. Print.