Marriage and Funeral in Classical Athens
Marriage in Classical Athens was inevitable. It was a part of life. Everyone had to get married, just as everyone had to someday face death. Although most people would not see a connection between marriage and death, the Greeks did. Both define an irreversible physical change—the loss of virginity and the loss of life. This idea of loss, rebirth, and renewal are present in both wedding and funeral. This is evident in the way wedding and funeral ceremonies complement each other in character and content. Both ceremonies are interwoven with ritual meaning and overlapping rites.
There are three distinctive parts to a Greek marriage: the engue, ekdosis, and gamos (Powers). The engue refers to the betrothal arranged by the kurioi, which are the fathers of the bride and groom (Duby 273). In this ceremony a verbal contract is made called engye. This is basically an agreement upon marriage between the groom and father of the bride. The dowry is also paid to the groom during this time. The agreement is sealed by the phrase ‘I hand over this woman to you for the ploughing of legitimate children’ (Blundell 101). Witnesses were present as proof of engue in case the legitimacy of children was ever questioned.
As the engue marked a pledge the ekdosis marked a transformation of the bride as she shifted from a child to an adult, a virgin to a wife. Actions that symbolized this transfer included cutting of the bride’s hair, removing the girdle she wore since puberty, and taking a ritual bath in water from a sacred spring.
During the ekdosis the daughter is given away by the father to her husband. The bride and groom prepare for the wedding with offerings, dedications, and sacrifices. All of these rites are for purification and conciliation.
The bride offers locks of her hair to the virgin deity Artemis in hopes that the god would ease her passage from virginity. The bride’s girdle is also taken off and consecrated to Artemis or Athena (Blundell 105). This pre-wedding ritual is one of the few events women are allowed to participate in.
The bride and groom both take a ritual bath which is believed to induce fertility (Avagianou 6). Sacred spring water for the bath is carried in a loutrophorus which means “someone who carries the bath water” (Rehm 15).
The bride is then assisted in adorning herself for the public ceremony which begins with a feast at the family’s home.
There are a number of activities that take place during the ceremony and each part has its own purpose and significance. As a whole, the procession takes place over a course of four days and within a decent amount of time of the first menstruation. However, in the event of the child being away at boarding school they will go home immediately or if this is not an option then the ceremony must be postponed. The ordering of events take place over the course of the four days directly relate to the myth of the origins of Kinaalda. For instance, in Marie Shirley’s Kinaalda the order and the events that take place resemble closely the events that took place during the mythical origin story. For Shirley’s own ceremony the events that take place include: hair-combing, dressing, molding, race one and race two, nighttime activities, and several others. To prepare for the events that will take place, the people involved do things such as shelling corn and cleaning the hogan. On the first day of the ceremony the girls involved have their hair combed to make the girl resemble Changing Woman and are dressed in their ceremonial clothing, which include adornments of silver and turquoise. When wearing the jewelry some feel that this is a testament of her future. If she wears large amounts of jewels then this will mean she will have a rich life full of success. Usually after the dressing is the lifting of the people. This is something that Changing Woman did during her own ceremony, as a way to thank the people for their gifts (Wheelwright, 1942). They are then to lay on their stomach to begin the process of the molding; this relates to the first girl’s kinaalda myth in which “she was molded and pressed so she would have a good figure” (T...
It is widely known that the Athenians highly valued their warrior class, and they saw the warriors as a ring of the higher circle of the society. The Athenians were very proud of Athena and its traditions, as well. Athenian’s thought that Athena was the best, none could be better. The funeral oration was aimed to respect the fallen as well as to keep up the national pride and its passion to protect their nation. The speech was a eulogy which focused on the eminence of Athens and its predecessors. Usually a son was chosen to give the eulogy. The law required the speech to have several essential components. The speech had to concerning the lives of the deceased. At his eulogy’s end, Pericles spoke in regard to the soldiers. The speech talked about the life that the departed lived and the achievements which they gained. Pericles wanted the citizens to recall the soldiers but to forget about the tragedy that had occurred. He wanted the departed’s lives to be remembered, but not their demise. The speech helped the Athenians appreciate what their ancestors had died for and how they shou...
“Commercially prepared infant formulas are a nourishing alternative to breast milk, and even contains vitamins and nutrients that breastfed infants need to get from supplements (Pearl, E., 2015). Breastfeeding is proven to strengthen the immune system for children of all ages. While a mother nurses the infant, the mother passes down nutrients and antibodies from the milk the babies drink while nursing. Like immunizations building invulnerabilities for people destructive illnesses, breast milk gives additional antibodies to infants to help them. Nursing sessions are less demanding to retain and process the formula since it contains living development elements, hormones, and chemicals which help an infant to effectively process all healthy intake from each feeding (The Office on Women’s Health, 2012). Further, in creating nations, scientists found that for newborn children who were not breastfed have danger of dying from irresistible infections, in the primary month is six times more prominent than babies who were breastfed (Chen and Rogan, 2004). Children that are breastfed have less problems with digestive systems due to the breast milk, a standout amongst the most essential advantages of breast milk is the containing living parts, for example, contamination battling antibodies, white platelets, red platelets, and hostile to viral components (Taylor, 2013). All which are essential to the growth of a newborn's digestive system that formula does not
Thompson, James C. "Marriage in Ancient Athens." Womenintheancientworld.com. N.p., July 2010. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. .
The women were the only ones able to bear children. Also, if they were forced to stay in the house, men could have greater control over their wives, and not have to worry about them having affairs. The second important trait was virginity before marriage. Its importance to the Greek culture lies in the fear of a woman’s power. The men of the society felt it best that a woman remained a virgin until she was married; however this same attribute was not required of a man.
In this case, the woman goes as she starts a new life with her fiancé. Before the wedding, the man goes to the synagogue and they throw nuts. and sweets at him to symbolize sweet life with his bride-to-be. Both the man and woman fast on the day of the wedding, like at Yom. Kippur, for forgiveness and the start of a new life.
When thinking of ancient Greece, images of revolutionary contrapposto sculpture, ornate lecture halls, and great philosophers in togas are sure to come to mind. As the birthplace of democracy and western philosophy, ancient Greece has had an inordinate influence on the progression of the modern world. However, the ancient Greeks’ treatment of women is seemingly at direct odds with their progressive and idealistic society.
Wedding customs in the Elizabethan times were unfair and strict. The ages of consent in the Elizabethan times were twenty-one for boys and twelve for girls: “With parental permission is was legal for boys to marry at fourteen and girls at twelve although it was not usual or traditional for marriages at such young ages. The age of consent was twenty-one and boys would generally not marry until thi age” (Elizabethan Wedding Customs). The quote shows how young a marriage could happen in the Elizabethan times. The key word in the quote is “boys.” Men had more control over their “wives” or captives. Parents could force their daughters into any marriage, and the man in the marriage would use said wife for her “benefits.” This is known as dowry:
With their great stability to maintain their love, they were able to convince her stubborn father to finally get married. They had their wedding ceremony at an Orthodox Church based on her parent's strong religious beliefs, her relatives were spitting on her while she was walking down the aisle to let the evil away which really surprised Land’s western parents. The weddings service in the Greek Orthodox faith is an ancient and beautiful ceremony that is full of symbolism that is highly influenced by the Greek culture, which it’s quite the opposite in westerns weddings where it’s usually less crowded and
“Come, Eurycleia, move the sturdy bedstead out our bridal chamber-that room the master built with his own hands. Take it out now, sturdy bed that it is, and spread it deep with fleece, blankets and lustrous throws to keep him warm.” (23.
In tradition Chinese culture the bride must be covered by a veil and the groom
Although love is interpreted as a wonderful thing it can also ruin someone's life, “Love is a trap. When is appears, we see only its light, not its shadows.” (Paulo Coelho) Love doesn’t fix people it breaks them asunder. It waits and waits for its next target to make a mistake and ruin everything they worked for. As seen in various works including; “The Raven” , Romeo and Juliet, and “The Gift of the Magi”. Romantic love is a force that inflicts pain upon those who believe in it or those who have been through it.
C. Wright Mills brings about a different way to look at the world, and a different way to place one’s self into it in his work, “The Sociological Imagination”. Mills deliberates and examines the individual role one would play in society as a whole and how it is both the individual and society’s history that must be understood together to see the big picture. Man must look for the “intricate connection between the patterns of their own lives and the course of world history” (Mills, Imagination). This “sociological imagination” brings about a way of thinking that “enables its possessor to understand the larger historical scene in terms of its meaning for the inner life and the external career of a variety of individuals.” This perspective gives
and that his mother said “Twould make her amiable and subdue [his] father, entirely to her love, but if she lost it or made gift of it, [his] father’s eye should hold her loathèd and his spirits should hunt after new fancies” (III.iv.51-55). - turning the handkerchief into a symbol of chastity. The strawberry pattern, colored with virgin’s blood on the plain white background correlates with the loss of virginity on a wedding night, creating the handkerchief into a symbol of virginity.
For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted a career where I could help people in any way. I have wanted to be a pediatric nurse since I was young. As I have grown older, I have come to the realization that I want to become a surgeon. Becoming a surgeon would allow me to heal any physical pain in another’s life. All of the schooling that I will be completing in the near future will all be for the goal of providing aid for others. Wanting to help others encourages me to attend Case Western Reserve University. This is a college that is ranked highly for academics and also has a highly accredited medical school that will provide me with the education needed to move on to helping others. One day in my life, I might even consider joining the military as a medic. This would allow me to help those fighting for our country. Until I reach the point in my life where I am capable of helping others first hand, I enjoy giving back to those in the community through community service with Interact Club and also volunteering at a local fire department. With both of these services, I fundraise to raise money for the community along with helping at other activities. Another common act that I have done is donate blood. Providing for those who cannot provide for themselves is something that I am very passionate about. I feel as though I have everything in my life that I need and I want to provide to others