How the Roles of Women in Ancient Greece Affect Their Status

Gradually, the status of women did change from political standpoints of the societies. From political power to having the right last name, women have transformed and became a huge part of Western Civilization. During times of Hellenic Greece, women were considered naturally weaker than men, squeamish, and unable to perform work requiring muscular or intellectual development. In most Hellenic societies, for example, domestic chores were delegated to women, leaving heavier labors, such as war and hunting, to men. Women also have generally had fewer legal rights and career opportunities than men.

This popular practice of patriarchy was extremely dominant in the social arena in both societies, and, on the other hand, female power and status was often minimized and put on the backburner in terms of societal foundations. While both ancient Grecian and Roman women were surely crucial in various aspects of life outside the family, even those not belonging to royal families, they continued to stay inferior to their male partners and less instrumental as a whole in making important family decisions. Three of the main factors and belief systems that shaped the roles of women in the family in both ancient Rome and ancient Greece were those of the law, marriage, and motherhood. One of the tenets that played a large part in shaping the role of women in ancient Roman society was that of patria potestas, or “the power wielded by [the] father as head of the household (familia).” A household in ancient Rome was considere... ... middle of paper ... ...em of their basic freedoms in matrimony, and depriving them of any degree of personhood once they had children contributed to this society’s widely accepted understanding that women should always remain inferior to their husbands. Generally, patriarchy was the most critical framework in the social atmosphere of both ancient Rome and ancient Greece, but the primary difference between the two societies lies in the lenience and degree of autonomy allotted for women.

Women still don’t have as much power as men, are still “blamed” for wrong doings and thought as untrustworthy, and are still used as “currency” or are taken advantage off. Across the globe, women are starting to gain more political power and are able to have other jobs and rights, but this was only achieved recently, as women have always been second best. To start with, women were technically considered “slaves” or just above the standards of a slave. The main purpose of a woman was to cook, clean, raise a family, and to have sex or sometimes be raped, to please a mans needs. In Greece, they were seen as an object or property of a man, and were not given full rights, and in America, women were just given “all” rights not even fifty years ago.

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.

The Aristotelian view, contrastingly, believed that the natural characteristics of women, which deemed them physically and intellectually inferior to men, made the home their proper place within society. In this essay I will advance the view that through the logic constructed by both Plato and Aristotle it follows deductively that women not only have a place outside of the home but their distinctive nature can add something of value to many areas of society. A Platonic View Toward Women: A Community of Women and Children It is sometimes contended that Plato was a feminist, but his concern for women did not stem from an interest in women’s rights, but rather the usefulness women could contribute to the benefit of the community. Meaning, society would receive... ... middle of paper ... ...oes not follow logically that women are intellectually inferior. The nature of women that emanates from their traditional role as mothers and caregivers can in fact not only be sufficient but necessary for the optimal functioning polis.

The age difference was considered a moot point since women at that time often did not survive the rigors of repeated childbirth and died young. It was also generally believed that marrying a very young girl enabled the husbands to train her and mold her into a proper Athenian wife. Athenian women had almost no influence or power in Greek society and were not highly regarded until they could produce a male child (Socrates). The common belief at that time (in most Western societies) was that women were necessary to produce children. Women existed for the sake of procreation, to bear sons in order to continue the family name (Aristotle states that the man supplies the substance, the soul, i.e.

They struggled in the aspects of marriage, social life, and education. Although most of these ancient cultures viewed women similarly, of these three locations, it seems as though women in the Roman Empire had it best. In ancient Greece, there was rarely an insight given on women, except that they were controlled and contained, which goes to show the value of women in the ancient Greece society. Women were considered to be owned by the men in their life, whether it be their father or husband; their father controlled them before they were married and their husband controlled them after they were married. The highest point of a women’s social life was marriage, which typically took place at the age of fourteen to eighteen.

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.

Although women made a number of important social and legal advances in Ancient Rome, the development of the Empire proved to be detrimental to the emancipation of women as the pre-existing social expectations were altered in order to impose a more conservative moral order. These antecedent expectations were crafted from a number of ideals concerning female intellect, sexuality and influence, that existed in society prior to the development of the Roman Empire. The social liberty experienced by Roman women developed dramatically throughout history, however, the Roman Empire is a specific point of contention. Women in Rome were defined as veritable

By characterizing the women in "The Odyssey", a reader may come to some conclusions about the role of women in this epic. Along with the belief that women played a secondary role to men in society, the female characters displayed certain traits that could not be exhibited by the men. Athena demonstrated the most intelligence and valor out of all the characters in "The Odyssey." The male characters play the most significant roles in this epic, but without the support of the females in "The Odyssey", Odysseus would not have made it through his journey. Athena is a very intricate and complex character who has a vital role in the epic poem.