by takeover in the 500's B.C., when
Persian kings tried to overrun the city-states; however, the city-states revolted against the
Persian kings. These uprisings did nothing more than cause a war with Persia. The
Greeks, who were outnumbered, fought Persia and surprisingly won (Greece 372).
Another problem that Greece faced was the rivalry between the city-states of
Athens and Sparta. The cooperation between the two city-states in the Persian War was
short-lived. Athens and Sparta were constantly feuding for control of Greece (Greece
The Archaic period, though constantly growing, was one of a somewhat primitive
nature. Due to this, not much written philosophy has surfaced; however, creative thought
was very encouraged during this time (Greece 367). Because of the lack of written
documents, many of the holes in the philosophy of the time must be filled with
speculation. The philosophy of ancient Greece, that could be found, was very favorable
towards women. During the Archaic period, a woman held a position almost equal to that
of a man. Women were able to hold political positions, possess land, and overall enjoy a
majority of the same rights that a man had. This philosophy of women's equality is best
expressed by J.P. Mahaffy when he states: "This equality upon the position of women is
obvious... The wives and daughters of the chiefs were respected and influential because
they were attached to the centre of power, because they influenced the king more than
free men did" (146). The whole idea of women being not only respected but influential
during this period in Greece is phenomenal when one considers the more abject role that
women in many other cultures of that time were faced with. This immense influence also
proves the power women were given in Greece during the Archaic period. Socrates, as
well as others, "Sees women, as, if not truly equal, at least not inferior to men, a...