Women in Ancient Athens
From the Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can change
Women in Ancient Athens were treated very differently than they are today. They were treated with no respect most of the time.
Contents |
[change] Birth, Childhood and Marriage
[change] Birth
Athenian parents didn't like to give birth to girls. Girls needed a dowry which was often worth a lot of money. Some families would expose baby girls, which means they left them outside to die. Rich families would usually keep girl babies.
[change] Childhood
A female child would be treated almost the same as any boy, until she was 6. Boys went to school, but girls had to stay at home and learn from their mothers. They would learn how to manage a household (cooking, cleaning, weaving, sewing, managing the household budget, and, if she was from a rich family, managing the slaves). Even if they didn't learn to read at school, they often learnt at home. They also learnt simple facts, like: mythology, religion and sometimes, musical instruments. They harrdly left their houses, only for religious duties.
[change] Marriage
Girls couldn't be citizens. They left their home at the age of 14 or 15 to get married. Sometimes with man who were much older than her (about 16 years). Her marriage would be arranged by her father, on most occasions the father would pick a rich husband for his daughter and for most girls, marriage was just living together. The girl and her mother had no say in who she married, it was entirely the father's choice.
Before the marriage
Before the marriage, a celebration called 'gamos' was held to show that the girl was being passed to her husband, from her father. The girl would be washed and dressed by female relatives and friends. Then she would wear a crown, a white dress and carry a pomegranate or any other fruit with many seeds.
[change] The Athenian Home
[change] Life at Home
A woman would spend all day in her home. If she left she would lose all her social status. She couldn't go out to buy things, to work, to see her family, etc. Slaves would be made to go outside and buy the supplies needed in the house, and her family would have to come and see her (but only the men). Most woman accepted this way of life as it was the way they had been brought up and it was how every other woman in Athens lived.
[change] Quarters
Women and men were separated in the house. They had different quarters. A man could go into the women's quarters whenever he wanted, but a woman needed permission to enter the man's quarters (which was rarely allowed).
[change] Jobs at Home
Women were expected to;
- cook
- clean
- manage the household finances
- produce an heir for their husbands
- collect water
- manage the slaves
[change] Life Outside the Home
Women very rarely left their homes.
[change] Careers
Women could only do some jobs;
- Prostitute
- Market Seller
- Flute Players
- Dancers
- Nurses or Midwives
Women who did any of these jobs were not very respected. It was very uncommon for a woman to do any of these jobs.
[change] Citizenship
Women could not become citizens of Athens because the men thought the weren't important enough. This means they couldn't vote, they didn't have any say in what happened in Athens and they couldn't run for election.
[change] Comparisons between Women in Ancient Athens and Modern Day Britain
[change] Similarities
- Women can still feel the pressure to have children and to bring them up.
- There is still an expectation on women to look after the home.
- Women today are still worried about their appearance and wearing nice clothes and jewellery, as they were in Athens.
- Women still see marriage as a very important part of their life.
[change] Differences
- Today women can have their own careers.
- Women can now have a social life. They have the freedom to go where they want and see who they want.
- A modern woman's parents do not get to choose her husband.
- Women can now vote and be involved in government.
- Women now have the freedom to travel wherever they want.
- They have now got the right to an education.
- Houses can now be owned by either sex.
- Women today have equal rights to men.
