Athenian Women, More Than Just Wall Flowers
Athenian Women, More than Just Wall Flowers
Introduction
Ancient Athens can be best described as a patriarchy, where women and children were under the authority and guardianship of a male (Blundell 66). A dichotomy exists between ancient sources surrounding the life led by Athenian women. On one side there is Xenophon, who portrayed Athenian women to be limited to a domestic role where household duties such as cleaning, cooking, and supervising slaves were primary activities of Athenian women. While on the other side there is Aristophanes, Demosthenes, Euripides, and Sophocles who provide evidence Athenian women did have opportunities to engage in activities outside their domestic roles. Although Athenian women did engage in primarily domestic roles as illustrated by Xenophon, evidence shows that Athenian women did participate in economic, social, and public activities.
Economic Activities of Athenian women When looking at accounts made by Xenophon, Athenian women are restricted to a domestic role. For example, Xenophon described a conversation where Ischomachus was telling Socrates how he instructed his wife on household management; Ischomachus tells his wife, “God from the beginning devised, I believe, the nature of woman for indoor work and activity and the nature of man for outdoor” (Xenophon, Oeconomicus 7. 22) Ischomachus went on further and told his wife, “You will have to stay indoors, to join in sending out those of the servants whose work is outdoor work, and to oversee those who have indoor work to do” (Xenophon, Oeconomicus 7. 35-36). Despite Xenophon`s account, evidence shows that not only did Athenian women participate in household duties, some women participated in public economic. Evidence of the participation of Athenian women in economic activities comes from lower class Athenian women, who had to work outside the home in order fight poverty and increase the family income (Herman 51). Some women found work in low-grade
Introduction
Ancient Athens can be best described as a patriarchy, where women and children were under the authority and guardianship of a male (Blundell 66). A dichotomy exists between ancient sources surrounding the life led by Athenian women. On one side there is Xenophon, who portrayed Athenian women to be limited to a domestic role where household duties such as cleaning, cooking, and supervising slaves were primary activities of Athenian women. While on the other side there is Aristophanes, Demosthenes, Euripides, and Sophocles who provide evidence Athenian women did have opportunities to engage in activities outside their domestic roles. Although Athenian women did engage in primarily domestic roles as illustrated by Xenophon, evidence shows that Athenian women did participate in economic, social, and public activities.
Economic Activities of Athenian women When looking at accounts made by Xenophon, Athenian women are restricted to a domestic role. For example, Xenophon described a conversation where Ischomachus was telling Socrates how he instructed his wife on household management; Ischomachus tells his wife, “God from the beginning devised, I believe, the nature of woman for indoor work and activity and the nature of man for outdoor” (Xenophon, Oeconomicus 7. 22) Ischomachus went on further and told his wife, “You will have to stay indoors, to join in sending out those of the servants whose work is outdoor work, and to oversee those who have indoor work to do” (Xenophon, Oeconomicus 7. 35-36). Despite Xenophon`s account, evidence shows that not only did Athenian women participate in household duties, some women participated in public economic. Evidence of the participation of Athenian women in economic activities comes from lower class Athenian women, who had to work outside the home in order fight poverty and increase the family income (Herman 51). Some women found work in low-grade
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