Women's Roles In Ancient Greece Between 800-500 BC
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Women’s roles in archaic Greece between 800 – 500 BC
- By Nawal Sari 11.6 The Archaic period is one of five periods that ancient Greek history belongs too. It mainly involves the years between 800-500 BC. Ancient Greece is commonly known for myths, legends, deeds and heroic heroes that we still continue to have in our popular culture today. The topic being discussed will be women’s roles in this eventful period and how there aspect of life was. When individuals associate women in archaic Greece they commonly think about luxurious and beautiful women who would do anything for a man. Although in some cases that’s not the reality for all of the women who are in Greece. Women’s roles vary from particular areas and where all treated differently…show more content… They were close on the map but had very different values. Athenian women and young girls were confined inside there houses and where property of the men inside the house, they were responsible for domestic chores. On the other hand Women in Sparta where educated in school subjects, also allowed participating in sports. They were treated almost equal to the Spartan men. The goals in Sparta where to have healthy women who could produce healthy babies, The babies would benefit the Spartan community whether being soldiers or complete beneficial jobs for the community. The Spartan women where famous for being allowed to own there own property which was a big deal then. Having a job, being employed then later buying would be great deal to them unlike the Athenian women who could hardly leave a house. Demosthenes who was a prominent Greek statesman and orator of ancient Athens wrote, “We keep hetaerae for the sake of pleasure, females slaves for our daily care and wives to give us legitimate children and to be the guardians of our households.” Hetaerae where sophisticated and educated prostitutes, this quote from Demosthenes displays due to him being from Athens where there was hardly women’s rights, he believes women are for pleasure and raising children. This quote displays no rights or respect for women in this time period and…show more content… It was the wives who ordered and supervised slaves and managed the major and minor household responsibilities including cooking, cleaning and sewing. In wealthy homes, women had a separate area of the house where the men cant go. Poor women work outside a home and help their husbands at the market or some other job there husband does. Even poorer women go to sell at market or even buy at the markets without a male escort with them. Think of this In comparison to modern times when we believe in equality between women and equality with women in the workplace. In archaic Greece around 800 – 500 BC the separation in the women’s hierarchical system was very dominant, you could clearly separate poor and rich and who was at the right financial state to not leave the home and who had no choice but to leave the home to supply food and shelter for there families. In the city of Athens it was frequently visited by sailors and merchants, there presence needed entertainment so therefore the emergence of prostitution came in the archaic Greek period. Prostitution became business and extremely popular. Prostitution was not only limited to slaves but also women would use this as their profession. Prostitutes were although fortunate, unlike other Athenian women, they were completely in control of