Differences Between Sparta And Athenian Women

Spartan women were notoriously known for their razor-sharp wit and outspoken natures. They were encouraged to develop their intellect, and owned more than third of the land almost two-fifths of the state. While husbands and sons were working in the military, women took charge of everything inside and outside of the household. Spartan women were in control of their sons until the totalitarian society took them over at the age of 7. Being under a totalitarian society, Sparta had a strong military and citizens did not have an easy lifestyle like the Athenians.

I believe that it is particularly because of how important the goddesses were to Greek mythology that women were able to be such key parts of Greek society as a whole. According to Goddesses, Whores, Wives and Slaves: Women in Classical Antiquity by Sarah B. Pomeroy girls in ancient Greece were taught to be physically strong. They took part in many physical activities like sports along with boys. Pomeroy also states that women played a big role in religious festivals (Pomeroy). “Spartan women were put through physical training… They could own their own land (as much as 40% of Spartan land in the fourth century BC was owned by women).

Ancient Athens and Ancient Sparta were two of the biggest city-states in Greece. Despite their geographical closeness these two city-states differed largely in many aspects, particularly the kind of roles women played in society and the amount of power women had. Whereas women in Ancient Sparta were believed to be very independent the women in Ancient Athens were not. Even the way these women dressed contrasted from one another. In this essay, I will shine light on the differences between women in Sparta, who had played a larger role in Spartan society, and the women in Athens, whose role was not considered as important as men in Athenian society and how this effected their status.

In Ancient Egypt, women had greater freedom in the family and more independent movement than women in Ancient Rome. This is because Egyptian women were able to express their feelings and do more things on there own than in Ancient Rome. Also, Ancient Roman did not have as many rights as a wife than in Ancient Egypt. Also, Egyptian women were able to express more political liberties, more economic opportunities, and important roles in religion than in Ancient Rome where their words and rights were more limited. Although women had more rights and freedom liberties in Egypt than in Rome, women made a huge impression in both societies and civilizations.

They could not testify in court, but had to have their guardian testify for them. They were only allowed to trade in small sums, no more than the value of one measure of barley. It was theoretically possible for women to inherit property, but only if there was no male relative available. Most Athenian women were married young (from fourteen to eighteen) to men who were around thirty, which reinforced the unequal power dynamic between the spouses. Women were not educated in much more than the running of a home, and they were expected to raise a family and do little else.

In this essay I will argue why Spartan women were more dominant in society than other Greek women. The women of Sparta may not have been active in the military, but they were physically trained and educated like the Spartan men, but also enjoyed more liberties compared to the other women of Greece. Spartan women had a strong reputation of their gallantry and masculinity that other Greek women could not seem to match. Spartan women were women were toughened up physically so that they could to become the wives and mothers of strong soldiers. Therefore, at a young age, girls were taught to run, wrestle and throw the discus and javelin just like the boys of Sparta.

Women also have generally had fewer legal rights and career opportunities than men. From the text from Kilshansky, The Spartan Constitution, Lycurgus believed that motherhood is the most important function of freeborn woman. Lycurgus then insisted on physical training of the females along with the males. Lycurgus also believed that to have future success is to have a strong youth. The Hellenic times were like this for the sole reason that few elite men ruled.

Within the ancient world it took brains, brawn, and ingenuity; Sparta showed traits of all three. In the ancient world where wars raged, Sparta was an empire of world class fighters. Every Spartan was individually trained, this includes women. There are historians, like Plato, that argue that women caused the fall of Sparta. Although the fall of Sparta was not caused by women because: women were trained in the art of war beside men, women were educated like men, and women were in control of Sparta whenever the men were away.

The Women of Greece: A Transition from Ancient Power to Classical Subservience For the most part, women in today's society hold a position equal to that of a man; however, this has not always been the case. Women?s conquest for political and social freedom is a battle that has gone on for centuries. Perhaps the breaking point in women?s liberation was the Women's Movement of the 1900's, which encouraged women all over America to join in the fight for their right to vote. Because of this struggle for equality, women are now able to vote, receive a standard of fairness in the workplace, hold political positions, and play professional sports, as well as a wide array of other privileges enjoyed by men. Unfortunately, these civil rights have not been made available to women worldwide.

During the dark ages it is not exactly sure how many resources they Greek people lost, many major settlements were abandoned there are no written facts from this time and it was assumed that the people were illiterate. Philosophers believed that woman had very poor minds and each woman needed to have their own guardian which was a male figure closest to her or if she was married her husband. Women were expected to stay inside their homes and when there was a woman seen on the streets they were usually prostitutes, slaves or poor. Women through time were always thought of as unequal to men; men believed this because they made sure it was true by not allowed women to own anything go to school or participate in many activities. Although women were just as capable as men, the men made sure they felt inferior in many aspects of their social position such as race, culture and sexuality.