Section B Quotes

Osborne, 2008

"In general, women were seen by the men who wrote about them not only as physically but also as morally, socially and intellectually weaker.”

Xenophon, Oeconomica (of women in Athens)

Women were “trained from childhood to see and hear as little as possible and ask an absolute minimum of questions.”

Flaceliere, 2002 - The wives of metics

“… the wives of metics were often wool-weavers, shoemakers, dress-makers and so on. Some of them seemed to have been genuine ‘businesswomen’.”

Flaceliere, 2002 - On Spartan women

Spartan women, “exhibited an extraordinary degree of economic activity and personal independence.”

Pomeroy, 2002 - Of perioikoi

“Some probably worked in service jobs like baby nursing or prostitution.”

Plutarch - Of perioikoi

“Only few, if any, Spartiates practised a manual craft, the commercial and economic role of the perioikoi must have become an important one.”

Aristotle, Politics, Book II, p.1270

“at the time of Sparta’s domination many things were accomplished by women.”

Fantham, 1994

“Women underwent the servitude of maternity as did men the servitude of war; but beyond fulfilling this civic duty, no restraint was put on their freedom.”