Gender Roles In Ancient Greek Culture

Greek culture differed significantly from Hindu traditions in the fact that as a society, they encouraged individualism and the idea of becoming an independent adult. In contrast to Hindu culture, Greek boys are raised with the intention of them becoming great citizens, which ultimately meant becoming great men. In respect to modern western culture, ancient Greek culture wasn’t much different for the men. Boys were taught formally in schools and were expected to be men at an early age, akin to their father. For the Greeks however, the father had the ability to consciously choose whether or not to keep his own child. It wasn’t an uncommon practice for men to leave their unwanted children to die. Boys in Greek society were highly valued over …show more content…
It’s clear to see why we can’t find the women’s views from texts because women generally didn’t attend school nor did they learn how to read and write. The only education they received was for domestic works so mothers and daughters alike were imprisoned in their homes. From what scholars know now, there is a strong implication in the female roles in the ancient Greek society; they were to be either wives or mothers. Their role is essentially emphasized in the Greek myth Odyssey where Homer’s depiction of Penelope is the epitome of the perfect Greek wife. In the story, it takes twenty years after Odysseus leaves his home for him to come back. Many of Penelope’s suitors at this time suggested he was dead but she didn’t believe it. When he reappears after her patient wait, she revealed to him that “she has remained chaste, unviolated, and faithful to her husband…and accepts the absence and adultery (of Oedipus) as her husband drifts off into sleep” (O’Neal 117). This was a model for the ideal Greek women in