women in athens + sparta

from the textbook

what was the wreath of wool left hanging outside the front door supposed to symbolise

after the birth of a girl

symbolizing her economic destiny as a housewife

what was the wreath of olives left hanging outside the front door supposed to symbolise

birth of a boy

why were baby girls more likely to be abandoned at birth

• birth of a daughter - cause for disappointment:

  • son could inherit property and earn a living

  • daughter would have to be married off with an expensive dowry

example of how daughters were treated as inferior at home than boys

may have been given a smaller portion of food to boys

what were the rules/duties of an Athenian wife that a girl was taught (4)

• spinning

• weaving

• cookery

• managing finances

• help to care for younger siblings

schooling for a girl?

• not sent to school - remained at home and learnt from the mother the rules/duties of an Athenian wife

• (some girls may have learnt to read, but most women were illiterate)

• (few girls may have been taught musical skills like lyre-playing or singing)

what does Arrephoroi mean literally

bearer of secret things

how old were Arrephoroi

what did they do/where did they live

girls between 7 and 11 who lived for a year on the Acropolis under the supervision of the priestess of Athena Polias

what important duties did the girls perform

stuff at the Panathenaia

and grinding flour for sacrificial cakes

describe the cult of Artemis initiation festival

• festival of initiation into womanhood for girls of about 10 years old

• known as ‘bears‘

• they wore a saffron robe, which was then discarded (went naked for a bit), then put on long white garments - suitable for respectable adult women

why were these rituals to do with those goddesses (Panathenaia, and the Artemis cult thing)

those goddesses would oversee their lives as adults

Artemis - goddess of childbirth

Athena - goddess of spinning and weaving

how old was a girl when her marriage was arranged

as soon as she reached puberty - around 14

she was normally pledged to a man _____ her age

around twice

marriage was seen as a pr_______ ______ and ______ arrangement between two families.

PRAGMATIC SOCIAL and FINANCIAL

how much say did the bride have?

little to no say

why was marriage sometimes equated with grief

• bride had to leave behind her own family to live with the new husband (may have met him just that day)

  • some women forced to move far geographically - so virtually no contact with previous family

what is the betrothal called in greek

engue

when could a girl be betrothed? what was the legal impact

could be betrothed at any age - legally married from that point

what actually was the betrothal - how was the agreement made

a verbal contract between the two men (fathers) and followed a set form of words

• the two men shook on the agreement in the presence of as many witnesses as possible/they could find

• important since there were no formal legal civil documents/to sign

  • so marriage was a private agreement between two families

how much was the dowry set at

between 5 and 20 percent of a kyrios’ wealth

what was the kyrios

head of the household (father?)

what would a man have to do if he wanted a divorce

had to return the dowry in full to his wife’s family

• if not: he was charged 18 percent interest per year on the value of the dowry

what happened if a woman’s husband died - to the dowry

and if no children:

• her dowry passed onto her sons

  • if no children: it was handed back to her family

what about if there was only a daughter

• his wealth and property were attached to the daughter who became an: epikleros

what happened to her, the epikleros

her name would be read out in the assembly and she would be married off the the closed available male relative of the deceased, and the wealth would go to him

ensured the wealth stayed in the immediate family

name the three days of the wedding ceremony

proaulia, gamos and epaulia

what would the bride do in the days leading up to the proaulia

spend time at home preparing for the ceremony with mother, female relatives, slave women, friends. etc.

what was the most important event of the proaulia

making sacrifices/offerings to the gods (esp. Artemis)

what would the bride offer her (3)

and why

• a lock of hair

• childhood toys

• clothing

to thank her for the protection she gave during her childhood

and to ask for support when ‘leaving the sphere of virginity‘ ??

day of the marriage ceremony:

what happened on the gamos

• bride’s ritual bath in holy water, meant to enhance her fertility

where was the water from/how was it carried

drawn from a sacred spring

carried by a young child in a loutrophos

what was a loutrophos

double-handed, painted vase used for carrying water at wedding ceremonies

how was the bride dressed

adorned in the most expensive clothing possible

some families got professional wedding dressers!!

hair was arranged, bedecked with robes, a crown, jewellery, perfume

what did the veil represent

when was it removed

her virginity

only removed after the deed was done

also on the gamos after all that

the feast, music, wine etc.etc.etc.

also on the gamos - what symbolised the bride’s transfer from one house to another

the procession

when in the day did it happen

evening

give series of events for the procession

1. groom symbolically dragged the bride from her mother

2. lead her to a cart (in which she robe between the groom/the best man)

3. arriving at the groom’s house, the bride was welcomed by her mother-in-law

4. the groom’s friends burned the axle of the chariot

5. couple led into the house

6. consummated

why was the cart procession conducted by torch-light

believed to ward off evil spirits

what did the women throw at the couple and why

fertility symbols - fruits, flowers

what did the burning of the axle of the chariot by the groom’s friends symbolise

the bride can’t make the journey/go back to her old home

a friend of the groom stood where - at night/for loss of virginity

stood guard outside the (closed) doors of the bedroom

who else would be there, doing what

friends of the bride stood with him, and sand songs

also beat the door to ward off evil spirits

what was the epaulia centred around and why

the presentation of gifts to the bride, esp. by her new relatives

unsure why: maybe as compensation for the loss of her virginity

or to bind her to the new family

who did the now married woman automatically become in the husband’s house (inc. greek word)

what was she responsible for

the kyria.

responsible for overseeing all household tasks wh

what did the kyria carry with her to symbolise her control of the storerooms

a bunch of keys

why was it good for a household to spin/weave its own cloth

save a lot of money

cloth was very expensive

greek word for unmarried woman

parthenos (maiden)

greek word for a married woman without children

nymphe

greek word for married woman with a child

gyne

were there midwives in ancient athens?

yes i think so..

examples of womens' lack of power in athens

• legally the possession of her husband

• had to obey his commands

• can’t be a citizen - no right to vote or take part in any politics

• could not buy or sell land, or buy anything expensive

could women leave the house?

yes, but discouraged

• may have needed an escourt

example of what women were looked down upon

Aristophanes made fun of Euripides by claiming his mother used to sell vegetables in the agora

• too poor to have hired help, so have to go out themselves

why was divorce relatively straightforward in Athens

no court case was required

what happened if a man wanted to divorce his wife

he would just send her back to her own family (along with the dowry)

• so would have been a serious financial blow

most common reason for divorce

woman was unable to produce a male heir (infertility, ofc never the man’s fault)

or to marry epikleros - daughter with inheritance to be married off to nearest relative

could a woman initiate divorce?

yes - just had to return to live with own family

but in practice very uncommon, and old family could refuse/return her to the husband

what was the Thesmophoria

annual festival exclusively for women

the thesmorphia

• when

• celebrating who

• autumn

• commemorating the myth of Persephone and Demeter

why is it called Thesmophoria (probs unecessary)

derived from word for law-giver

which is an epithet given to Demeter, reflecting the Greek belief that she revealed the laws of agriculture to civilisation

what kind of woman could take part in the festival

only married women

general idea of what it was

• for how long, and where

• camped out for three days and two nights near the pynx - hill where the Athenian assembly met

  • rites of the festival were super secret

symbolism of camping out by the pnyx…

women take over the seat of government

outline of events?

• day 1: set up shelters, some went down into a nearby cave to get piglet bones and fertility symbols: then these were placed on an altar to Demeter/Persephone, then scattered onto the fields

• day 2: fasted and sat on the ground

• day 3: celebrated the gift of children and prayed

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why would the greek men be fine with this festival

ancient belief that the fertility of women correlates to that of the earth

and also since there’s no men surely the women won’t cheat

SPARTA: how was Sparta unique in the Ancient World for education?

what were the aims

who did the Spartans believe came up with the system (think Plutarch source)

provided an education system for the women

aims:

• to encourage physical strength (to withstand childbirth and grow stronger warriors)

• team spirit + loyalty to the state

probably some public education system too:

• physical exercise core component

otherwise most education took place at home: mothers/helots

reading, writing, numeracy

Lycurgus (Plutarch, “Lycurgus” source)

source quote for physical exercise for girls

Plutarch, Lycurgus

[Lycurgus] made the maidens exercise their bodies in running, wrestling, casting the discus and hurling the javelin.

Spartan law about food for boys and girls, difference to the rest of greece

law required that boys and girls be given the same amount of care and food

• elsewhere, girls were routinely fed less

how old were spartan women when the got married

and why

18-20, a few years after puberty (later than Athens)

• ensure they had reached full physical development and could better withstand childbirth

what was the marriage ceremony like for Spartan women

think gay af

bride’s hair was cut short

dressed in man’s cloak and sandals

• perhaps to make love-making more familiar for the groom

waited in groom’s house until after dark

groom would make love to wife after his dinner, then return to his mess

in early years of marriage, what was the living situation

and why

lived apart

to maintain attraction

why was there no crime of adultery in Sparta

desire to maximise production of healthy children for citizens + warriors

did Spartan women do housework, who did?

no housework

weaving cooking cleaning considered beneath the dignity of a woman who would produce warriors

domestic helots (slaves) carried out duties

role of Spartan wife around the house

manager of the farming estate allotted to her husband

economic control over the whole estate:
decisions about crops, equipment, sale of surplus

Spartan inheritance laws

Spartan woman allowed to inherit property from father if she had no brothers

(unlike Athens)

could become very wealthy heiresses

book by Plutarch title that proves women had greater vocal influence

Sayings of Spartan Women

(contrast all the keep quiet and no talking of Athens)

did women have the vote in Sparta?

how were their voices useful to the state

• quote

no vote

influence on men + upheld ethos of battle glory

Spartan mothers sent of sons to war with phrase: Either with your shield or on it!

• come back victorious or dead