Pawczuk 1

Emily Pawczuk
Prof Dyer
HIST 134
26 September 2014
Historical Fiction
Today we meet Helena, a girl of 14 in Athens. She originally came from a wealthy
family, her father was a land owner whose lot was close to the city. Recently though her father
had accepted a handsome dowry from a business man of 25, who mostly dealt in trades, and they
were married. Helena is now the wife of this business man and attends to her household duties.
Helena had been educated, she went to school in earlier years and excelled in music. But
now that she was a wife, she had to prepare the home for her husbands return from his job and
begin preparations for children. Although she was not yet pregnant, as far as she knew, she
needed to be and to give her new husband a son. She spends most of her day cleaning the house,
making sure it is presentable for her husband. She prepares the evening meal for his return home
from his busy day. When she is not doing either of those, she is weaving blankets and clothes,
and making other homely items.
Unfortunately in Athens, women are not able to do much besides raise a family. Helena
has no political say like the men do, and she could not have inherited her fathers lands. All of
his land would go to her younger brother when her father passes on. She was married off into the
middle class, even though her father despised business men her husband gave him much money

Pawczuk 2

and animals to be able to wed her. Naturally he took this fantastic offer and gave his eldest
daughter away with ease.
She cannot be seen around any other men who are not a family member or her own
husband, so Helena does not leave the house much by herself as to prevent being ridiculed by her
peers. Helena leads a simple life, simply doing her household duties and waiting for the day
when she can begin what she was put on this Earth for, to raise her sons.