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Women in ancient Greece

The role of women in the Classical Period

Date 19 August 2022

The societal position and role of women in Greek antiquity were

dependent on the time, place, and social class. Since the ancient
Greece civilization flourished during the Classical Period (5th-4th
centuries BCE), we will examine the role of women mostly during
that time, focusing on the two most important city-states of the
time, Athens and Sparta.

Female figurines and statues from Greek antiquity

The shift from matriarchy to patriarchy in the Greek societies

Over the years, we see a shift from matriarchal to patriarchal societies. If we go as back as the Minoan
Crete, circa 2000 BCE, the woman is considered the “spokesperson/daughter” of the great Minoan goddess
who defines people’s daily lives. The woman carries the “female power”, continuing the tradition of the
prehistoric matriarchal societies. The woman of Crete, as a mother and creator of life, is not inferior to a
man. She is seen as a powerful figure who has no reason to fall behind. In Minoan Crete, women had about
the same rights and freedoms as men. As the frescoes, seals and other stones with engraved images testify,
they took part in every part of social life, like celebrations, competitions, hunting, etc. Like today's women,
they combed their hair with care, dyed it, and wore fancy dresses and beautiful ornaments. They even
seemed to hold public offices and enjoyed the privilege of high priestesses.

Over the years and with the transition to the Mycenean period, the position of women in society has
changed. The Mycenaean civilization, a more war-oriented culture, signifies a shift in power towards the
men. Women were not considered lesser but they definitely did not hold the status the Minoan women did.

During the Classical Period, the status of women in society further deteriorated. This was reinforced by the
belief that the main social function of the woman is childbirth. The idea was that she finds her own
fulfillment in the marriage and that nature has made it so that she prefers the closed and sheltered space of
her home that the dangerous and war-ready society of the time.

Different social
classes of women in
ancient Greece
The woman in
Classical Greece

The role of women in ancient Athens

Women in ancient Athens had no political rights and were considered " minors ", while the term " citizen "
appeared only at the end of the Classical period. For the Athenian society, women had specific “missions”
concerning their homeland; on the one hand, she had to guard the house and perform the duties for its
proper functioning; on the other hand, she had to give birth to many children - ideally male - to strengthen
the family.

Marriages primarily served social and religious purposes. The girls were married at a very young age to men
who were chosen by their fathers. Women spent most of the day at their house, usually on the upper floor of
the house (called " gynaeconitis "), knitting or weaving on the loom. These were, after all, the only jobs that
were considered to be tailored to women of aristocratic origin.

Their only public outings were large religious festivities, family celebrations, or funerals. There was no
institutionalized education for women and any knowledge would come from relatives, girlfriends, or other
women in their environment. The mentality of the time is brilliantly portrayed in the famous funeral oration
of Pericles where he states that the ideal for a woman is to do as little as possible for her.
,

On the contrary, slaves, settler women, and later Athenians enjoyed more freedoms, as they were able to
move more freely, such as go shopping and carry water, conduct small-scale trade, or even work as nurses.

There were, of course, also partners, the famous “ Hetaires ” who were usually slaves or " metoikoi" and played
a special role in men's social and erotic life. They kept them company in their symposia, entertained them,
and discussed with them various topics, even philosophical ones. They were the only class of women who
had a level of education, so as to be able to entertain the men. They were generally more cultured than the
other Athenian women; they often knew how to play a musical instrument (lumber or lute), sang and cite
poetry. Some Hetaires, such as Pericles' wife, Aspasia, gained fame in Athenian life at the time, indicating
that they were not necessarily marginalized. Although monogamy was the norm in ancient Athens,
prostitution was not considered illegal, nor were relations with pallakides the young girls from very poor
,

families who were given to wealthy Athenians by their parents with a purpose no other than to satisfy them
sexually whenever they pleased.
These perceptions, naturally, also had an impact on the art of the time. In the Archaic and Classical Periods,
female figures in vases and sculptures are generally portrayed in an imaginative way, with no particular
emphasis on anatomical features. Exceptions are the depictions of Hetaires especially in vase painting, who
,

often appear naked, and sometimes take part in erotic scenes. From the second half of the 4th century and
especially during the Hellenistic period, the position of women improved significantly and was released from
the conservatism of classical times. This change is reflected in the art, with the first appearance of naked
female statues (e.g. that of Aphrodite), as well as the manufacturing of female figurines.

A Hetaira entertains
men in a simposium
Women in ancient
Greece

The role of women in ancient Sparta

However, the status of women was not exactly the same in all societies of the ancient Greek world. In the
oligarchic Sparta, where the abridging of a Spartan warrior was the biggest virtue, free women had more
rights and enjoyed greater autonomy than women in any other Greek city-state of the Classical Period.
Spartan women could inherit property, own land, make business transactions, and were better educated
than women in ancient Greece in general. They did not have to spend their day weaving but rather
practicing and shaping their bodies to be strong. During their daily exercise, the Spartan women wore lighter
clothes that left their thighs unattended, a fact that the rest of the Greek city-states considered excessive.

The law of Sparta, laid down by Lycurgus in the 9th century BCE, dictated equality among all Spartan
citizens and, in contrast to ancient Athens, women were considered proper citizens in ancient Sparta. A bit
ironic, considering the fact that Athens is considered the birthplace of Democracy. Girls in Sparta followed
the same physical training (albeit not in arms or Greek warfare) and were provided with the same education
as men (albeit in their home and not in a public school as the boys). The Spartan women had the freedom to
focus on motherhood. Works that were considered menial labor, such as the weaving of clothes, were the
responsibility of the helots (slaves). Spartan men were expected to honor the city-state through their
participation in the war. Thus, women were the ones running their businesses, farms or estates, managing
finances, etc. The purpose of sex within marriage was to create strong, healthy children, but women were
allowed to take male lovers to accomplish this same end, something unheard of in the rest of the Greek
world.
 A Spartan girl running
Credit:
Caeciliusinhorto, [CC
BY-SA 4.0]

The role of women after the Classical period in Greece

During the next period, the Hellenistic, women enjoy a form of renaissance regarding their importance as
members of society. In the tribal city-states of Thessaly, Epirus and Macedonia, women could even become
heads of the state (as long as there was no king). In the region of Thessaly, during the Persian Wars, Thargia
became governor of Thessaly and reigned for thirty years. Thessaly's monarchical status allowed her to
become queen after her husband, King Antiochus, died. The same seems to have happened in the
neighboring kingdom of the Molossians. When the king of the Molosians, Alexander, was absent from Italy,
his wife, Cleopatra, took over the position. Her mother was the famous Olympiada, Alexander the Great’s
mother. Olympiada was a woman with a fierce personality whose existence alone contributed significantly
to the shaping of many historical events of her time. She was taught the priestly secrets at the Dodoni
Oracle, which she served for years, while she was also involved in the Bacchus Mysteries and later became a
priestess of the Kabbirian Mysteries of Samothrace where she met, fell in love and married Alexander’s
father, Philip II.

As we can see from the above, the position of women in ancient Greece largely depended on the place and
the period. One very common exam question in Greek schools is this: if you were a woman in the classical
period where would you choose to live, in Athens or in Sparta? There is no right or wrong answer, it is a
question of critical thinking because of the variety of customs, lands, laws, influences and many more outer
and inner criteria in order to understand the role of the woman throughout the ages of Greek antiquity.

Our team has created an inspiring trip to Greece for female travelers, called " Greece for Women: Uncovering
the Tales of Goddesses Among Us ". Join us and embark on an engaging tour of museums, archaeological
spaces and monuments that will shed light on the role of women in ancient Greek society.

Related Tour

Greece for Women:

Uncovering the Tales of
Goddesses Among Us
Learn more
 You may also find useful:

Kallos: The Ancient Greek Ideal for Beauty

Caryatids: The Daughters of Athens

About the author: Our team at Greek TravelTellers consists of academics and lovers of Greek culture. Our vision is to
convey our knowledge and Greek values through unique tours and experiences. Through our blog, we hope to bring
Greek history and culture closer to you. Feel free to learn more about us .

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