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Greek societal and gender roles
Feminist women in ancient greece
Feminist women in ancient greece
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The Hellenistic Homemaker
In both Xenophon’s Oeconomicus and Lysias’ defense of Euphiletus’ murder of Eratosthenes, insight into the purpose and function of Athenian marriage may be gained by examination of the speeches of two citizens about their wives and their homes. Through both texts, it becomes apparent that the citizen’s value of his wife is based upon his wife’s ability as an “oikonomikos” or “skilled household manager” (Strauss, 3). It is through filling this role as her husband’s housekeeper that an Athenian woman experienced a loss of personal freedom and found herself trapped within a marriage in which she had little contact or much in common with her husband. A woman’s role as oikonomikos is described by Euphiletus’ address of an Athenian citizen-jury and by Socrates’ discourse with Ischomachos, through which he strives to understand the best way by which a household may be managed.
An Athenian marriage was formed to unite a household, or “oikos”, with an overseer to manage it. This housekeeper was responsible for maintaining the wealth of the oikos, serving as manager over the servants of the oikos, and, by providing heirs, assuring that the oikos would continue to exist and grow in the future. Socrates believed that “…while the possessions usually come into the house through the man’s actions, they are expended for the most part in the course of the woman’s housekeeping; and when these things turn out well, the households increase…” (Xenophon, III.11). A good oikonomikos was essential for the proper function of the home.
Marriage existed as a business agreement between a husband and his in-laws, who negotiated it, and between a husband and his wife, who maintained it. The marriage was first arranged bet...
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...en is well described through the requirements of being a good housekeeper- they must be young, uneducated, fertile, submissive, and remain in the home. In order to fill these roles well, Xenophon, in his Oeconomicos, and Lysias, through his defense of Euphiletus, show that women must necessarily experience a loss of freedom in order to maintain the virtues of an oikonomikos, and that also as a result of filling this house-manager role, they are so far removed from their husbands mentally and in daily experience because of age and custom, that romantic love would be inhibited.
Works Cited
Freeman, Kathleen. The Murder of Herodes and Other Trials from the Athenian Law
Courts. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. 1991.
Strauss, Leo. Xenophon’s Socratic Discourse: An Interpretation of the Oeconomicus.
Ithaca: Cornell University Press.
Gender is made explicit as a theme throughout the Oresteia through a series of male-female conflicts and incorrectly gendered characters dominated by the figure of Clytemnestra, a woman out of place. This opposition of gender then engenders all the other oppositions of the trilogy; conflicts of oikos and polis, chthonic and Olympian, old and young can be assigned to female and male spheres respectively. In this essay I will look at how the polis examines itself in terms of gender by focusing on the Eumenides' exploration of the myth of matriarchy, issues of the conflict between oikos and polis and the use of speech within the polis. I will then look at how these themes are brought together in the trial and the play provides an image of resolution. Many of these issues are set up in the opening speech of the priestess Pythia as already resolved and are then reconfirmed by the trial itself and closing images order.
In Ancient Athens, marriage and the relationship between husband and wife formed the core structure of Greek society. In both Xenophon 's Oeconomicus and Lysias ' On the Murder of Eratosthenes, there is a profound emphasis on the separation of women from men and their role in maintaining an orderly household. Both also establish unambiguous and separate spheres of responsibilities for men and women. However, there exists a clear difference between equality of the relationships and communication between the spouses. While the couple in Oeconomicus engage in an egalitarian, pleasant, and understanding relationship, Euphiletus and his wife 's relationship is opaque, treacherous, and marked by hostility and sparse communication. In both households,
In contrast, Oeconomicus offers a more conventional conception of the Athenian household. Ischomachos, for his own edification, presents to Socrates an idealized version of his household. Ischomachos, in his effort to impress Socrates with the skill and talents of his young wife, gives a clear account of the Athenian social norms surrounding the household. This text is useful in understanding Assemblywomen because it offers the social ideal that, to varying degrees, Aristophanes perverts. Indeed, Assemblywomen adheres to many of the ideals of the household put forth by Oeconomicus. Aristophanes does not depart completely from the conventional conception of a household but rather parodies the system by locating it in the larger context of the polis.
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Socrates presents a lengthy discussion about the lifestyle of the guardians. Socrates states that females will be raised and taught together with males, receiving the same education and taking on the same political roles. This method will benefit the ideal city. Socrates then deliberates the necessity that all spouses and children be held in common. For guardians, sexual intercourse will only take place during certain fixed times of year, designated as festivals. Males and females will be made husband and wife at these festivals for roughly the duration of sexual intercourse. The pairings will be determined by lot. Some of these people, those who are most admirable and thus whom we most wish to reproduce might have up to four or five spouses
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