GCSE Classical Civilisations: Women In The Home

what does epikleros mean?

the daughter of a man who died leaving no male heil; she was not his heiress, but possession of his estate went together with her hand in marriage

What does Thucydides say in 'History of the Peloponnesian war'?

'[the] greatest [glory] will be hers who is least talked of among the men, whether for good or bad'

What did an ideal Athenian woman do? (4)

-did not involve herself in the public spheres of politics, culture or war
-her place was the home and her greatest glory could be won simply by avoiding criticism
-once married, an Athenian Kyria had a strictly defined set of roles and responsibilities she was expected to fulfil.
-she was expected to complete these without drawing any attention to herself

what was the first and most important duty of a kyria?

producing a male son to be the heir to the kyrios' property

what was an unmarried girl referred to?

parthenos

what was a married girl, who lost her virginity, referred to?

nymphe

what was a married woman with her first child referred to?

gyne

Why was it so important to produce an heir? (4)

-family keeps going on
-inheritance
-woman's duty to produce a legitimate heir so the family would continue after the kyrios dies
-if the kyrios dies with no legitimate heir, the property would transfer to closest male relative & household would cease to exist

what do the number of women's grave makrers that reference childbirth show? (5)

-women were greatly valued for their ability to produce legitimate children
-common for graves to either have an epigram or a relief sculpture on a stele
-grave markers would be placed along the side of the roads near city gates and would invite passers-by to learn about the deceased
-they would display virtues and achievements of the deceased
-i.e. grave stele of Ampharete

What did Athens' less advanced understanding of medicine and pregnancy lead to? (2)

-Common miscarriages and complications in childbirth
-many women and children died in childbirth

What did Athenians do to combat childbirth? (5)

-There were a variety of remedies that she could use to combat infertility
-Many would turn to the gods for help, especially Asclepius
-women would spend the night at his shrine in Epidauros and it was believed divine snakes would visit and cure them of their infertility
-archaeologists found many examples of dedications at the sanctuary thanking the god for having enabled women to get pregnant

What does Aristophanes say in 'women at the thesmophoria', lines 501-504 (2)

-'I know another, who for ten whole days pretended to be suffering the pains of labour until she had secured a child;
-the husband hurried in all directions to buy drugs to hasten her deliverance, and meanwhile an old woman brought the infant in a stew-pot'

What does Medea say in Euripides, 'Medea'? (3)

-'What they say is that we women have a quiet time, staying at home, while they are off fighting in war.
-They couldn't be more wrong.
-I would rather stand three times in a battle line than give birth to one child.'

What were the husband and wife responsible for? (4)

Husband:
-run a business
-make money
-participate in the public life of Athens
Wife:
-smooth running of the household itself

What does Ischomachus say in Xenophon's 'Oeconomicus' (4)

-'for the wife it is more noble to remain inside than outdoors, but a husband it is more shameful to stay indoors than to take care of things outside' 7.23
-'You must receive what is brought into the house and distribute what must be consumed and think ahead what reserves need to be kept and take care of what is intended for a year is not used up in a month
-When wool is brought to you, you must see that clothes are made for those who need them, and that the dry cork is in a fit state for making food.
-One of the tasks that falls to you may seem rather thankless: you must see that all member's of the household who fall ill are cared for.' 7.35-36

What does Isomachus tell us about women's importance to the household? (7)

-Women must be good at planning ahead
•distributing and conserving to a schedule
-women must make clothes from wool
•increases household wealth
-women must look after ill household members - family/slaves
-make sure corn is good to eat
-Household could not run, without these things, and women contribute to the self-sufficiency, showing the importance of women to the household

What does Xenophon's 'Oeconomicus' 7.41 say? (3)

-'There are other particular responsibilities belonging to you that turn out to be pleasant:
-Whenever you take a slave who knows nothing about spinning and make her skilled she becomes twice as valuable as you;
-Whenever you take one who doesn't know how to manage housekeeping and serving and she is made a skilled and loyal servant and you then have one who is invaluable...'

How else could the Kyria increase the wealth of the household?

can educate slaves, increasing their value, by acquiring new skills

What did a typical Athenian house have? (6)

-A room galled a gynaikeion where the women would work and where women other than the kyria would sleep
-this room would often be located at the back of the house or upstairs, out of the way
-They also had the andron
-reserved for men to relax in and have drinking parties known as symposias
-female family members were not allowed to attend the parties, but were expected to help decorate the room and make a good impression on guests
-The andron was located by the front door

What does the location of the Gynaekeion mean? (5)

-out of the way so that the women wouldn't bother the men or any business or socialising taking place
-safely out of the way of the door so they could not sneak out and see other men
-looking after children
-room out of the way for weaving
-not invited to the symposia so no need to come down

What does the location of the Andron mean? (6)

-able to greet visitors easily
•near the door
-Don't have to go up/downstairs while drunk
-Able to keep track of who is entering and leaving
•Can keep track of wife's movements
-Come and go easier

How free was an Athenian Kyria to move? (5)

-The kyria was not allowed to leave the house without a male escort
-she spent the majority of her life inside her home
-it is likely that poorer athenians ignored this custom
-some kyriae worked as market traders, jewellers and midwives.
-these women must have had the freedom to leave thir houses unescorted

What happened when they kyria did leave the house? (4)

-she was limited by the laws that restricted how much money she was allowed to spend
-she could not buy anything worth more than a medimnos of barley.
-she could not buy or sell land, or personally own property.
-this was so she would be unable to do any severy or lasting damage to the household if she were to act against the kyrios/make decisions in his absence

What would happen if a man caught his wife having an affair? (4)

-He was legally allowed to kill her lover
-If he was spared, he could be made to pay a large fine and/or be publicly humiliated
-The woman's husband wold divorce her and keep her dowry
-she would be barred from joining public religious festivals

What would happen if Athenian men were cheating?

Unless they were seducing another married woman or unmarried daughter of an Athenian citizen, they were free to do whatever

What does Plutarch say in 'Life of Alcibiades' 8.3? (3)

-'Hipparete was a decorous and affectionate wife, but being distressed because her husband would consort with courtesan, native and foreign, she left his house and went to life with her brother.
-Alcibiades did not mind this, but continues his wanton ways, and so she had to put in her plea for divorce to the magistrate, and that not by proxy, but in her own person.
-On her appearing publicly to do this, as the law required, Alcibiades came up and seized her and carried her off home with him through the market place, no man daring to oppose him, or take her from him.'

What does this source tell us about how easy it was for a woman in Athens to get a divorce? (7)

-Legally an Athenian women could divorce her husband
•Leaving his household and returning to her father
-Husband can prevent this fairly easily
•Physically stop her, and drag her back
-Nobody would stop her doing it
-Woman could try and put in a plea for divorce to the magistrate by proxy
•Doesn't necessarily have to go herself

What ratio did Athens have of slaves to free citizens?

3.75:1

How did you become a slave? (4)

-Captured in war
-Piracy
-Exposed babies
-Born into slavery

What accounted for the different prices of slaves when they were bought? (6)

-Skills which are useful
-age
-health
-appearance
-Gender
-education

What did Xenephon say in his 'oeconomicus' 9.12

'We also taught her to be loyal to us by making her a partner in all her joys, and by inviting her to share our troubles.'

What was life like for a domestic slave? (8)

-Life for a domestic slave depended on the kyrios/ kyria
-treatment of slaves could be very harsh one slave, helping her kyria with an affair was whipped
-very common for their children to be sold
-legal property of kyrios - little defence against mistreatment
-theres a process for slaves to appeal if they were mistreated but there was very little evidence that they were successful
-slaves in Athens were occasionally freed by their masters
-if they were loyal, it was more likely they were treated well.

When could a Spartan woman receive a grave marker? (2)

-When she had borne her first child
-the monuments, however, celebrated the mother's service to the state

What does polyandry mean?

Right of women to have multiple sexual partners

agoge

The training school that all Spartan boys attended from the age of seven.

syssition

Communal mess hall in which Spartan warriors dined and for which each man had to contribute food

Kleros

household farm on a plot of land assigned by the state to a Spartan warrior, taken care of by the woman

What does Xenophon say in 'constitution of the spartan'? (3)

-'If....and old man....had a young wife....he would bring into his house a man whose body and mind he admired, for the purpose of bearing children.
-And if a man did not want to have sex with his wife but desired children in whom he could take pride...
-..if he saw a woman who was a good breeder and was of a noble sort, he could produce children from her, if he could persuade her husband.'

What Plutarch say in 'Life of Lycurgus'?

'it was possible for an older man with a young wife, if he was taken with one of the handsome and noble young men and approved of him, to introduce him to her and adopt the offspring as their own.'

Why was polyandry not really adultery in Sparta? (3)

-as long as you're doing it to produce children, no one minds
-it was seen as the duty of men and women to the state, to produce
-spartan men and women did not get married to produce legitimate children, so adultery did not exist in the same way

Why did the spartans feel justified in having multiple sexual partners? (2)

-All that mattered was that the baby was healthy enough to serve Sparta (as a warrior or Spartan woman), not legitimacy
-Spartan society discouraged the accumulation of personal wealth and so most citizens lived modern lives - this meant there would be no concerns over inheritance and property

What were the duties of Spartan women?

-they were not expected to work wool or stay indoors, and instead they should focus of training, managing the household and its farm, and upholding the spartan ethos
-a spartan woman would want to bear children until she was no longer fertile, so they continued to train to maintain their good health
-they were responsible for the management of their family's kleros, while the men were living and training in their communal barracks
-they would direct slaves and ensure enough food was produced to support the household and her husband's syssition
-they made decisions on what to grow, when to purchase equipment and how to sell any surplus, so they must have had training in arithmetic

How many women owned property in Sparta? (2)

-Unlike, Athens, Spartan women were able to inherit property
-Nearly 2/5 of the property in Sparta was owned by women

What does Plutarch say in 'Numa and Lycurgus'?

'It is said Spartan women are too bold and mannish even towards their husbands, as they had complete authority over their households, and in public affairs shared in the deliberation and freedom of speech even on very important issues'

What was one of the most important roles of a Spartan mother (3)

-instil a love of Sparta and obedience to its system in their sons
-They were expected to send their sons, ages 7, to the agoge without hesitation or hesitation
-they had to prepare their sons by making sure that they were brought up loving the Spartan state and doing everything to protect it

What did Spartan wives and mothers say to their husbands and sons about to go to war, and what did this mean? (4)

-'return with your shield or on it.'
-There is no honour in Sparta, for surviving because of cowardice
-the advice means 'return to me victorious, or return dead'
-The women of Sparta were the ones who instilled this value in the men and in doing this, ensured Spartan discipline survive

What happened to Spartan boys in the agoge? (11)

3 stages of the Agoge:
-The Paides (age 7-17)
-Paidiskoi (17-19)
-Hebantes (20-29)
-in the first, they lived in groups known as agelai ('herds') under an older man
-encouraged to give loyalty to Syssition rather than their families
-Beginning at age 12, they get given one item of clothing for the year - red cloak known as a phoinikis - worn in war
-Created beds out of reeds pulled by hand, not with a knife
-intentionally underfed to encourage them to steal food from themselves
•if caught they were whipped
•meant to produce well-bred soldiers, and be accustomed to hunger, which they must experience in battle
-Around 12, boys would enter into an institutionalised relationship with an older man
•pass on knowledge

Freedoms Spartan women enjoyed: (14)

-Freedom of movement outside
•Freedom to train with men
•Do not have to work wool
•Manage Kleros
-Freedom to have multiple sexual partners (with consent)
-Freedom to inherit property
-Freedom to take care of family finances
-Freedom to interact with other men
-Freedom to marry whomever they want
-Freedom of speech - could engage in important political discussions
-Decide how to spend their wealth
-Educated - arithmetic
-Complete authority over household
-Uphold the Spartan ethos

Restrictions Spartan women had to bear: (14)

-Had to have strong, healthy children - fulfil primary function
•otherwise no grave marker
-Have to have their sons takes away at 7 to the agoge - can't be too emotionally attached to sons
-Had to get married
•have to cut hair
-Be loyal to Sparta
-Couldn't become a Spartan warrior
-Can have children exposed with no say in it
-Alone a lot of the time
•can't be with their husband
-dedication to state, not their own children
-patriarchal society still
-Remain physically fit at all times and continue reproducing children
-Might have to sleep with other men to bear children

pietas

respect and honour towards those who are above you and expect loyalty

matrona

married roman woman

patronage

semi-formal association between a richer more influential Roman patron, and a poorer, less influential client

vilica

female slave responsible for managing the household

lararium

shrine of the household gods

contubernium

translates as 'cohabiting' - slaves were allowed this partnership instead of marriage

cliens

client in the patronage system (less influential)

libertus

freedman or ex-slave

patronus

the patron in the patronage system (richer and more influential)

What was a matrona expected to do (3)

-produce children in order to ensure the continuation of the household so that they could advance the status and wealth of the household
-boys could work to earn money, and boys from wealthy families could increase the family status by excelling in areas such as law
-girls could be given in marriages to allies or business parties

What do Roman epitaphs show?

many women died in their teens and early twenties, either in children or shortly after due to infection

How would women in Rome give birth? (2)

-in their homes, they preferred to recline on a couch with a midwife assisting
-not common for the father to be present

What was the matrona expected to do? (3)

-Take an active role in rearing her children and was respected for doing so
-most roman mothers would breastfeed their own babies
-some fathers would have made the time to be with their wives as they fed their children

What was another important role for the matrona?

oversee the day-to-day running of the household

What would a matrona do in a poor family? (4)

oversee the:
-spinning and weaving wool
-cooking and cleaning
-looking after children
-she may also work a job to bring in money

What would a matrona do in a rich family? (3)

-she would be able to call on slaves to assist with domestic tasks and so would be able to spend her time in leisure
-she was far more likely to be well-educated and may spend time reading books, visiting friends and keeping up with politics
-they were not restricted from leaving the household and were allowed to attend public games, festivals and the theatre

What was a responsibility of the matrona? (3)

-organise dinner parties for her husband
-she would be able to attend these dinner parties by presenting herself well and ensuring that the party ran smoothly
-social events such as these were particularly important to the Roman system of patronage

Which roman source corroborates the idea that a woman could tarnish/boost the family's repuation? (7)

Livy, 'The history of Rome', the rape of Lucretia
-the men had a competition to see who had the best wife implying it was something to be proud of - regularly talked about
-Superbus wanted her, implying she was of importance
-the consequences following her death was of importance, signifying she, herself, was important
-Kills herself to save her and her husband's reputation
•man is judged on his ability to control wife/instil moral virtue
-the other wives tarnish the reputation of their husbands

What would the matrona do if her husband was away from home for extended periods of time

she could take a leading role in managing the public affairs of the household and its businesses.

What could matronae not do? (5)

-make a will
-sign contracts
-sell property
-free a slave
- bring a lawsuit to court

What /could/ matronae do?

own land and property & be named heiress in a will

why did matronae gain greater independence?

the growth of the empire meant more slaves meant more women, especially those in the upper classes, were released from their household tasks. Sine many marriages also released women from the authority of her husband

main points of 'Laudatio Turiae' (10)

-Turia tried to avenge her parents' death, when her husband was exiled, with her sister
-won an inheritance battle through her speech against her father's clan
-they have been married for 41 years and never divorced
-she was once beat up by Marcus Lepidus to retrieve her husband
-defend house from milo - unusual scenario & not many women would have tocontend with this
-they could not have children so she asked him for a divorce, so he could have children with a more fertile wife, and even without, they still stayed together
-they shared all their property
-she supplicated for his life to Lepidus
-she was loyal to him in exile and sold her jewellery to financially support him
-he was recalled due to his friendship with Augustus

What was the character of Lucretia's husband like? (2)

-not embarrassed to have a strong, dominant wife on whom he relies on for almost everything
-unusual for a man to be so smitten and admiring if a woman despite her being infertile

What were Turia's good qualities? (20)

-well-versed in rhetoric
-commended for wit and intelligence
-determined and family orientated
-independent and strong
-had domestic qualities
-loyal
-companionship
-wool-working
-religiosity (without being superstitious)
-admirable dress sense
-devotion to moderation
-kindness
-duty to family
-caring to husband's family
-shares wealth willingly
-practical, rational thinker
-brave in the face of adversity
-concerned for her relatives and the family's reputation
-protective of him
-in control

how did couples in ancient Rome get divorced?

they would announce that the marriage was over, and she would return to her original paterfamilias

What happened if the man initiated the divorce?

She was entitled to her whole dowry back

what happened if the woman initiated the divorce?

the man would claim a portion of the dowry for each child the marriage had produced, and more if she was adulterous

What happened to the children? (3)

-custody battles were rare
-the children came under the patria potestas of their father as the household's paterfamilias, so the mother had little legal claim to the children
-it is likely many women therefore were convinced to stay in unhappy marriages

What would happen if Roman men were cheating? (2)

-they were free to have sexual partners as long as they were either prostitutes, foreign or slaves
-If they had an affair with the wife or unmarried daughter of another Roman citizen, it was adultery

What would happen if Roman women were cheating? (2)

-if a married woman was found to be having an affair with a Roman citizen, she would forfeit a portion of her dowry
-if it was a slave, she would be killed and the slave would be burnt alive

What does Aulus Gellius say in 'attic nights' 4.3.2? (2)

-'No children were born from her, owing to some defect in her body...
-Carvilius as the story goes, loved his wife intensely - the one whom he divorced - and valued her very highly because of her character but gave preference to the sanctity of his oath over his inclination and his love, because he had been compelled by the censors to swear that he would look for a wife for the purpose of begetting citizen children.'

How does Carvilius' attitude compare to Turia's husband?

-he also loves his wife as Turia's husband, but places emphasis/weight producing children than love, so he divorces her.
-It shows it was different for different men

how many people were slaves in Rome?

1/3

what roles did female slaves in Rome have? (3)

-forced into prostitution
-worked in their master's business providing skilled labour
-worked in homes of their roman masters as domestic slaves

What were slave children given?

an education along with the children of the main family, so some slave girls were able to read, write and do arithmetic

What was having many slaves seen as? (2)

-a status symbol
-common for wealthy families to keep many slaves, each with a specific job

What did Juvenal's satire suggest? (2)

-there was a hierarchy within households
-wool worker

Who was the vilica? (6)

-one of the most well respected female slave
-responsible for management of household
her duties include:
-tending to family hearth & lararium
-grinding flour
-preserving foos
-cooking food

What was a vilica's role equivalent to?

peasant farmer

What would owners & slave dealers consider?

-breeding children to gain more slaves
-there is evidence to suggest to free a slave woman once she had borne 3 children (who would remain slaves)

What were slave men and women not allowed? (2)

-to get married, but they could form partnerships known as conterbium.
-it was common for a male slave, once freed, to purchase the freedom of his partner, and then get married

How were slaves treated? (5)

-depended on master
-kind masters might form positive relationships and give them good food and comfortable places to life in return for work
-they may agree to pay the slave wages, and give them their freedom
-a cruel master might treat a slave like an anima or worse
-female slaves usually avoided the most gruelling and dangerous manual jobs, i.e. mines

How common was freeing slaves in Rome? (5)

-relatively common
-may be freed in their master's will or for loyal service
-became a libertus
-still considered a second class roman citizen, and had restricted rights compared to a full citizen, he was able to live as he chose
-the freedman's former master became his patronus, and he would become the cliens
-Freedman would adopt 2 of his former master's three names, in addition to his single slave name