Athenian Women

Hipponax an ancient poet once said, “Two happy days a woman brings a man: the first, when he marries her; the second, when he bears her to the grave”(Fordham). This is how women were depicted and treated in Athens. Most were either sold into slavery or prostitution..Many Greek City States treated and depicted women this way; however, Sparta was an exception from this way of thinking. Sparta, could be called a safe-haven for women’s rights. Women in Athens were different than Spartan women. But how is this so?
Women in Athens were disrespected as a person and served only a few purposes to the community. Athen’s city-state suggested that women were either slaves, prostitutes, or straight up slobs. Like an Athenian person once said, “Good Women
must abide within the house; Those whom we meet abroad are nothing worth” in 400 BCE. Or what Thucydides said, “The best wife is the one of whom the least is said, either good or evil”(Fordham). Thucydides was a general during the Peloponnesian war. Most people in Athens considered women to be at least a second class citizens. Women were mostly forbidden to own land, to vote, to attend public debates and to inherit things in her own name. Like most Athenian people said “Good women abide in the house, hidden.” Clearly this was not a fantastic era for women to live in. But, still they kept with it and fought through it. Their only jobs were to clean, take care of children, have children, spin, and weave. Only to make about a coin a day. Which isn’t very much to get through the week, especially with children.
By now we know that women were seen as complete opposites of men, and also not very useful to what they needed. Women were also seen as irrational, fearful, and ruled by physical desires (Facts on File:Infobase). Women were supposed to remain in the house because the men feared that if she left, she would go and join in sexual activities. Thus, explaining why women are treated so differently from the men. The only time women were really appreciated when they left the house for religious ceremonies. But, this is not where it ends then it comes to the depression of women’s rights. Imagine that you were going to have a kid in Athens. But, it turns out that you’re going to have a girl. So because of that, girls would barely see their fathers. Most likely because she and her mother were in the chambers for women (Facts on File: Infobase). For women, these were tough times. But what about education, how did that plan out? Well, girls were in school at about the age of 7. But only for a couple years or so. Just so they can learn some literacy and numberacy. With this information combined with others, we can proclaim that women were in a bad position for rights. But, how did this come to be?
Before Greece became Greece, there was another colony that was believed to live there.
The Mycenaeans were the ones who settled there. Only for a short time before Greece overcame them. But, the Pelasgians would kill their women if they did something they weren’t supposed to. So with this evidence, we can claim that Greece inherited these costumes after the takeover. Which could explain why they treated women this way. But that’s just a theory, possibly they picked up on Mesopotamian customs from the trade market. Or just simply Mesopotamia had inherited this land after it was taken over by another colony. Another theory could be that they adapted Trojan thoughts after they won the war. There are constant places before Greece where women had a Hellenistic view on them. All we know is that, women were treated badly in and around Greece. Even before the Greeks have taken over the
land.
Then, there is Sparta.
What women would call “ The Heaven of rights.” This one civilization is where American traits actually came from. Sparta started off small, but big enough to overrule the Messians. The Messenian territory had a very fertile land where Sparta would soon start to grow crops. But, for every Spartan there was 10 Messenians. Which also came into account for the uprising of the helot slaves. So because of numbers, they put every male citizen into the army . Starting at the age of 7, till the age of 65. Leaving all of the estates unsupervised and unowned. So, they now needed women to run the estates and look after some of the helot slaves. Which made all the women merrier when they were able to take part in their society. Also, they had regained their rights and privileges. But, not everyone could watch the women and see if they are doing their job correctly. Thus, the Spartans gave women incentives ,object that makes someone do something. This incentive was the ability for women to own and inherit land (Fleck and Hanssen;
2007).
Women were also publicly educated, were allowed to be with men instead of being ashamed by them, outspoken to a degree that made them famous, and also were able to move about freely (Fleck;2007). The only reason women had these rights were because Sparta had taken over Messinia. If this wouldn’t of happened, Sparta would be much like Athens or any other Greek City state. More or less, women were like the big thing in Sparta. Many people in Sparta would look up to women like a godess. They were most likely concerned because women were the building blocks of Sparta’s rise and decline. They were responsible for the children Sparta’s army needed, the estates that Sparta needed to be run, and finally the slaves were working like they should be ( Fleck; 2007). Sparta’s only big problem was when the army was away and the helot decided to uprise. But, this problem was mostly contained by the other half of the army stayed back. Ever watch the prison movies where the good guy is in jail and you see the people on horses with guns. Imagine what but women, but without the guns and horses. Some women would run the agricultural land. Including looking after the slaves that were planting or harvesting the crops.
That’s a big rule to just hand over to someone. So, women would actually spend most or all of the time they had on this project they were given. This is where Sparta’s legacy crumbles. Now, imagine that you have your dream job. Your just really excited for this job. You’d do anything to keep the job you have. So you spend all of your time doing it, until you barely have any other time to do anything else. This is women in Sparta. With all of their time invested in the estates, or the agricultural land that they forgot the key part to their rights. Children, because of the constant work women did they didn’t have time for children( Fleck; 2007). Like in places like Athens, women had all the time in the world to nourish and take care of the kids. So, now in Sparta when women have big roles in their society, they have no time. Which can count as a huge change between Sparta and Athens.
Now when men went to war and men died, they barely ever had replacements for them. With these low birthrates, the helot slaves were able to rise up and rule over Messenian territory again. Now women at this time had a decline in women.