In Greek Mythology, women were either seen as monsters or maidens. Greek Mythology was based upon the beliefs and ideas of the times, so there was no doubt that there was to be prejudice of women in many of the Greek legends. But why was Ancient Greek Society so misogynistic? Throughout Greek history, myths were crucial, they explained how the world worked and why, and more importantly, they kept society in their place, making sure men and women wouldn’t step out of line. But what exactly was the role of women in Greek society? And how did this make such an impact on Ancient Greek myths and Legends? Goddesses such as Aphrodite, Athena, and Hera, are considered beautiful maidens, then there are others, such as Medusa, Echidna, and The Gorgons, who were portrayed as hideous, envious, monsters out for blood. A common theme around women in mythology is that they were either maidens who served under man, or they were the monsters who rebelled against them, repulsive and murderous, who usually met with an untimely death. But why were women portrayed so irascible? Well, women in Greek Society had little rights, in fact, they weren’t allowed to vote or even own land. Their role was to stay at home and take care of children, and that was their only duty in life. Most women in Greek Mythology were portrayed as …show more content…
Whether it was Medusa, the Gorgon, losing her head or Echidna, mother of all Greek monsters, being slain by Argus the giant. There’s a common moral in these stories, that women should stay as they were, housewives and mothers, otherwise they would end up as Medusa or Echidna, dead. The myths were guidelines for women, they showed the maidens how to act, and if they stepped out of line they’d be punished, like the monsters of mythology. Whether it be having their head cut through or being turned into a hideous monster, they served as a warning. Even though most of the myths and legends were mainly written by men, for
Myths reveal to us the experiences of women living in the patriarchal society and we gain the symbol value accorded to women and we came to realize what the term "Woman" meant to the ancient Greek man.
Before we delve into the traits of individual characters, it is important to understand certain assumptions about women that prevailed in the Homeric Age. By modern standards, the Ancient Greeks would be considered a rabidly misogynistic culture. Indeed, the notoriously sour Boetian playwright Hesiod-- who wrote about fifty years before Homer-- proclaimed "Zeus who thunders on high made women to be an evil to mortal men, with a nature to do evil (Theogony 600)." While this view may have been extreme even for the Greeks, they were convinced of the physical and intellectual inferiority of women. Thus, they believed that it was better for all--...
Since the beginning of time, women didn’t have as much power as a men. A great example of this is how women are portrayed in Greek and Irish mythology. Looking at the history of Greek mythology, what roles women play, and the differences between Greek and Irish mythology, it is easy to see the difference in how women are treated compared to men.
The women of Homer's epics were also viewed as a "prize of honor."(49) Noblemen were awarded women as prizes, given to them by the Gods. These women that were earned by the noblemen were considered possessions of wealth and symbols of honor. Regardless of the beauty they possessed, the women were still subjected to a life of war, slavery and deprivation. Although the women were regarded as slaves, their intelligence and beauty played a major role in the respect the noblemen had for female divinity.
In historic Greece, the characteristics of a hero were for the most part left only for men to achieve. Heroes were viewed as those who were kind to friends, vicious to enemies. They were also men who risked their lives regularly everyday, fighting for not only their country, but also treasures such as women, gold, and armor, among other things. Women, however, rarely accomplished such things, for what made a good woman was her obedience to her husband, her loyalty to her family, and, for the most part, other functions that a housewife is usually considered to perform. In order to win renown, however, a woman was forced to commit actions normally left to men. Antigone, Electra, and Medea, do not attempt to be what was considered a “good” women in ancient Greece; rather, their actions become masculine, instead. This is why they were known in the ancient world.
In the Greek society women were treated very differently than they are today. Women in ancient Greece were not allowed to own property, participate in politics, and they were under control of the man in their lives. The goddess Aphrodite did not adhere to these social norms and thus the reason the earthly women must comply with the societal structure that was set before them. Aphrodite did not have a father figure according to Hesiod, and therefore did not have a man in her life to tell her what to do. She was a serial adulteress and has many children with many men other than her husband. She was not the only goddess from the ancient Greek myths to cause doubt in the minds of men. Gaia and the Titan Rhea rise up against their husbands in order to protect their children. Pandora, another woman in the Greek myths, shows that all evil comes from woman. Aphrodite, Gaia, Rhea, and Pandora cause the ancient Greek men to be suspicious of women because of her mischievous and wild behavior.
Taking a look at the Parthenon, 442-438 B.C. Athens, there are many scenes, which display women in an active purpose of their society. The Parthenon frieze is said, "to be viewed as a representation of the fifth-century Athenian citizenry participation in their annual Panathenaic procession" (Connelly 53). The east frieze manifests the royal family preparing the sacrifice of the youngest daughter in memory of Erechtheus and the parthenoi. It is customary for the Parthenon's family to have large number of female members. Parents that evince three daughters would immediately signify that they were an Athenian royal family. Greek catastrophe shows virgins of noble birth sacrificed to ensure victory in war. Thus, in the event the youngest is sacrificed the other sisters gave their lives as loyalty not only to the sister, but also to the polis. The Athenians commemorate the dead hero and heroines and celebrate their first victory. It was assumed, "boys go to war, girls go to sacrifice, both for the good of the polis" (61). This scene states that in this era women were looked as equals as long as it was for the well being of the polis. If Athenian soldiers sacrificed their lives on her behalf, she ...
Mythology was very important to the men and women of ancient Greece. They worshipped the gods and goddesses, wrote poems about them, and based a great deal of art work off of them. The people of Greece looked to the gods and goddesses for help in all aspects of their lives; including health, agriculture, and war. Reading about Greek mythology can inform people about the society of Greece itself because the Greek gods were created by the people of Greece. Three main goddesses who were worshipped by the Greeks were Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. These three goddesses represent three different types of women in Greek society. Sarah Pomeroy, author of Goddesses, Whores, Wives, and Slaves, believed that “the goddesses are archetypal images of human females, as envisioned by males” (8). Pomeroy understands the significance in the differences between Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite, and what those differences meant for the women of Greece who were required to follow three important rules. The first rule was for the women to live a life of domesticity and motherhood. This was very important to the men in the society. The women were the only ones able to bear children. Also, if they were forced to stay in the house, men could keep a greater control on their wives, and not have to worry about them having affairs. The second important trait was virginity until marriage. Its importance to the Greek culture lied in the fear of a woman’s power. The men of the society felt it best that a woman remained a virgin until she was married; however this same attribute was not required of a man. Their belief can be explained by this quote written by P. Walcot in the article “Greek Attitudes Towards Women: The Mythological Evidence”: “The Greeks believed women...
The society in which classical myths took place, the Greco-Roman society was a very patriarchal one. By taking a careful gander at female characters in Greco-Roman mythology one can see that the roles women played differ greatly from the roles they play today. The light that is cast upon females in classical myths shows us the views that society had about women at the time. In classical mythology women almost always play a certain type of character, that is to say the usual type of role that was always traditionally played by women in the past, the role of the domestic housewife who is in need of a man’s protection, women in myth also tended to have some unpleasant character traits such as vanity, a tendency to be deceitful, and a volatile personality. If one compares the type of roles that ladies played in the myths with the ones they play in today’s society the differences become glaringly obvious whilst the similarities seem to dwindle down. Clearly, and certainly fortunately, society’s views on women today have greatly changed.
Since the beginning of human civilization, women have often occupied inferior roles in society while the dominant role has been played by men. In Homer’s The Odyssey gender roles in Greek society are emphasized showing how men controlled society while women were undervalued and constantly disrespected. Although it may be argued that Homer poses some rather feminist views, it is evident by several elements that The Odyssey is a misogynistic text. First, women in the Odyssey were continually oppressed by men never having true free will. In addition, Women were depicted as symbols of lust, seduction, and evil who bring destruction to men, undermining the true values of women. Furthermore, Women were expected to remain loyal to men while men have no expectation for themselves which promoted gender inequality. Exemplified by these three elements, it is evident that The Odyssey is a misogynistic text depicting a society where women occupy subservient and inferior positions.
In ancient greek mythology in the 13th century men had different point of views of women. Men thought that they were far greater and better in nature because they should rule and women should be the subjects of men’s rule. The only thing women would take care of is their household and their families, which created major gender roles. On the other hand, in the Odyssey things are much more different, they portray women to have stronger powers than most men and overpower them. Some women are viewed to be goddess, monstrous, and are even more powerful than most men. Clytemnestra and Calypso in the Odyssey take a major role in this part, yet they both have their
Women had very few rights, they lived as prisoners, serving men 24 hours a day. Women were sheltered from society, restricted to their husbands and their husbands houses, crying out for help and justice but there is no one to there to hear their screams. In the play Antigone when the title character had to sneak out of the house to meet up with Ismene. Ancient Greek men ruled a lot like over protective fathers with teenage daughters. Men were also scared of women gaining confidence and begin thinking on their own or worse taking action or speaking out against men, like in the play Antigone where Antigone confronts Creon by burying Polyneices after Creon strictly stated that no one bury him. If someone were to bury him, the whole Polis would stone them to death. When Creon found out that someone buried Polyneices, he did not even consider that it could have been a women that did it.
Women have given birth to new generations for centuries and have the common stereotype of being caring and gentle. But in the creation myth, women were given to man as a punishment. In the book of collected Greek tales, " Mythology Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes", by Edith Hamilton, women take up important roles that shape each story. Although women are usually characterized as being helpful and motherly, Greek mythology, on the other hand, portrays them to cause distress, fear, and anxiety to numerous men. Women’s actions are shown to be influenced with jealousy and vengeance which gives them an evil nature.
In ancient Greece women were viewed as many things. They were not viewed as equivalent to males by any means. Women were portrayed usually as submissive domestic, and controlled. They played supporting or secondary roles in life to men, who tended to be demanding of their wives, but expected them to adhere to their wishes. In the tragedy Medea, written by Euripides, Medea plays the major role in this story, unlike most Greek stories with women playing only minor roles, but she also demonstrates many behavioral and psychological patterns unlike any other Greek women. In Euripides’ Medea the main character, Medea, Displays many traits that breakdown traditional Athenian misogyny by displaying her as proactive in taking her revenge, having cruel and savage passions, and being a very manipulative women.
When you think of ancient Greece, you probably think of togas, polytheism, epic heros, and olives. But do you how women were treated or veiwed? There is quite a lot of evidence displayed throughout manyplays, epics and other documents. Oedipus the King and The Odyssey are two ancient Greek works of literature that exemplify their society perfectly. Ancient Greece was a patriarchial society where women were treated as objects and sex symbols and misogyny was often present.