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The lowest class was the slave women, who did the menial domestic chores and helped to raise the children of the wife. Male slaves worked in the trade arts, including pottery making, glass working, and wood working, or educating the sons of a house. The second class of women was the Athenian citizen woman, who could pass the right of citizenship to her sons. The third class was known as the Hetaerae. Unlike the slaves and the citizens, they were given an education in reading, writing, and music, and were allowed into the Agora and other places that were off limits to citizen and slave women. The social standing of the Hetaerae was at best at the level of prostitutes, and the level of power they achieved was only slightly significant (Cantarella & Lefkowitz, 1987, pp. 49-50).
Status of Spartan Women in Society
Life in Sparta was oriented around the state. The individual lived and died for the state. Their lives were designed to serve the state from their beginning to the age of sixty. Ironically, this soldier-centered state was the most liberal state with regard to the status of women. …show more content…
Her father or other guardian provided the dowry and arranged the marriage. The betrothal symbolized the groom's acceptance of the qualities of the dowry as well as the qualities of the bride. In arranging the marriage, citizenship and wealth were important considerations. Since property was involved, a guardian would want to chose the son of a relative or close friend, so marriage usually took place within a small circle. Rich married rich and poor married poor (Oswyn, 1986, pp. 212-213).
The marriage ceremony began with the bride getting into a cart with the groom and driving through the streets of the city at night, with friends and family carrying torches to light the way. They went to the groom's house, where the marriage was consummated. The wife had the duty of bearing legitimate children and managing the household. Only the boys could inherit property. If there were no male heirs, then the husbands of the daughters would inherit the property (Oswyn, 1986, pp. 211-212). Athenian wives were expected to stay inside their homes, except when attending funerals and festivals of the cults that were open to women. A woman who was seen outside on her own was assumed to be a slave, prostitute, concubine or a woman so poor that she had to work. Child care, spinning and weaving were the most important activities in the daily
Status of Spartan Women in Society
Life in Sparta was oriented around the state. The individual lived and died for the state. Their lives were designed to serve the state from their beginning to the age of sixty. Ironically, this soldier-centered state was the most liberal state with regard to the status of women. …show more content…
Her father or other guardian provided the dowry and arranged the marriage. The betrothal symbolized the groom's acceptance of the qualities of the dowry as well as the qualities of the bride. In arranging the marriage, citizenship and wealth were important considerations. Since property was involved, a guardian would want to chose the son of a relative or close friend, so marriage usually took place within a small circle. Rich married rich and poor married poor (Oswyn, 1986, pp. 212-213).
The marriage ceremony began with the bride getting into a cart with the groom and driving through the streets of the city at night, with friends and family carrying torches to light the way. They went to the groom's house, where the marriage was consummated. The wife had the duty of bearing legitimate children and managing the household. Only the boys could inherit property. If there were no male heirs, then the husbands of the daughters would inherit the property (Oswyn, 1986, pp. 211-212). Athenian wives were expected to stay inside their homes, except when attending funerals and festivals of the cults that were open to women. A woman who was seen outside on her own was assumed to be a slave, prostitute, concubine or a woman so poor that she had to work. Child care, spinning and weaving were the most important activities in the daily