Women In Greek Society

724 Words2 Pages

The role of women in society is often debated. In many ancient cultures, women were not granted the same rights that men had. When it comes to Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, women had very similar roles yet vastly different influences on society. The myths of these cultures helps us to see exactly what those differences are. This paper will examine the role and perceptions of women in Greek society and Roman society as exemplified by the mythology that guided these societies. In Greek society, if a woman was raped she was blamed and socially punished. Women were thought of as unintelligent, not worthy of being considered a citizen of the polis. Women were thought of as irrational, rebellious, sexual beings who needed to be tamed. They were …show more content…

She claims she was won in marriage, and sold for her beauty. She uses the submissive role of women to show Menelaus that she did right as a Greek woman and was submissively taken to Troy. The blame for the Trojan War was placed solely on her shoulders. She questioned Menelaus, asking him if she really did anything wrong. She was held against her will in Troy, despite numerous escape attempts. She was perceived as passionate and rebellious and that was not a good image for a woman to have in those …show more content…

Women were also thought of as child bearers and child rearers. Women were also married young and were expected to give birth to as many children as they could until they died. In Roman society, infertility was grounds for divorce. Women were neglected often; fathers could choose to expose, or leave a female newborn to die if they so wished and mothers had no control over it. However, Roman women were educated and instead of leaving the raising of young boys to the fathers like in Greek society, Roman mothers were expected to teach their children to read and write. Roman women dutifully instilled Roman culture in their children. Roman women were not allowed to vote or participate in politics. However, Roman women were allowed to be out in public at religious festivals, gladiatorial matches and circuses. They gathered on the streets daily to meet friends, go to the temples, and even engaged in public bathing rituals with other women. They were allowed to attend public debates at the forum. Roman women were allowed to dine with their husbands and did have a marginal influence on society. Roman women had more independence than their Greek

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