Women in Ancient Greece
This essay received an A- and is First Year University Grade. The word count is 1593...any feedback appreciated :) nicky_mouse_@hotmail.comAncient Greek women, excluded from the elite citizenship reserved only for men, were viewed only as wives of citizens, or as daughters who would become wives of citizens (Cartledge, 1998). Marriage and motherhood were regarded as a woman's primary goals in life, with the sole purpose of marriage being for procreation (Pomeroy, 1975) The death of an unmarried girl elicited expressions of sorrow, as the girl failed to fulfil her goal of marriage, and is even portrayed as a bride on her memorial vases. Prior to marriage, the woman was provided with a dowry to be used only for her support. It was passed from the father to the husband, but neither the woman nor her guardian, husband, or father could legally dispose of it (Pomeroy, 1975). Marriage arrangements were made entirely by men, and it was the woman's obligation to marry whom was chosen for them- possibly someone they had never seen before, or even a family relative (Cartledge, 1998). It was seen to be ideal for a girl to marry at the age of fourteen to a man of about thirty, with the necessity that the br
It could be obtained through mutual consent, or by just one spouse. Athena was the strongest supporter, among the gods, of the Greek side in the Trojan War. Marriages were monogamous and adultery was considered a public offense, possibly resulting in the birth of a child unrelated to the husband. Much of Plato's notions in Republic were inspired by the Spartan view of women. Marriage rights expanded, and with it social and moral rights are recognised in both partners. Portrayed as obedient, modest, gentle creatures in Athenian times, to harsh, cruel Goddesses of Greek Mythology, to liberated and somewhat equalised women in Ancient Literature, Ancient Greek women are one of the most fascinating and highly interpretive studies of today. Plato thus went one step more and wrote that women do not bear children until the age of twenty (Pomeroy, 1975). One of the most well known and respected philosophers of Ancient Greece was Aristotle. The former were uneducated and charged a fee of one drachma or less, and in unusual circumstances became quite wealthy (Cartledge, 1998). When a woman wished to divorce, she needed the intervention of her father or guardian to put the case before the archon, whereas the husband needed only to cast his wife out of his house. Prostitution prospered in Greece, with the presence of many brothels run by men and occasionally women (Cartledge, 1998). Angry with the Trojan prince Paris for preferring Aphrodite, goddess of love, to herself, Hera aided the Greeks in the Trojan War and was not appeased until Troy was finally destroyed (New Illustrated Columbia Encyclopedia). A pregnant woman has a good complexion if the child is male; a poor complexion if the child is female.
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