Comparing the lives of Athenian and Spartan women i

Women in Athens and Sparta

Assignment

Yang Maria

World History, IS202

Tha Leang Ang

December 30, 2010

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 Comparing the lives of Athenian and Spartan women 1

Women in Athens and Sparta

Assignment

Athens and Sparta were known as the famous Greek city states. The two
governed their city state differently in political system, social life, economy,
education, religious view, and so on. Another main difference was the women¶s
rights and power. Athenian women were horribly treated. They were highly kept and
protected at home because the belief to Athenian men was that ³women were«
highly sexual beings who could not control their sexual urges and therefore had to be
restricted for their own benefit.´ On the other hand, Spartan women enjoyably live
with their status, rights, power, and respect which the women of another Greece city
states weren¶t lucky to be delight with those freedom. Spartans realized that
³regardless of gender all Spartan people had an obligation to serve the militaristic
end of Sparta.´(Gaughan) This essay mostly focuses on how Athens and Sparta
differently and similarly treated their women to the following questions:

1.c How were Athenian and Spartan women educated?

2.c How did they get married?
3.c Could they women divorce their husband?
4.c What did they do when they become a mother?
5.c How did Athenians and Spartans judge their women?
6.c How sociable were Athenian and Spartan women?
7.c Did they have right to own property?
8.c How did they receive citizenship?
9.c What are the similarities between both of them?

Athens was a powerful capital and the largest Greece city state. It was a heart
of economic, political, financial and culture life in Greece. Athens represented
freedom, art, and democracy. Athens was given its name from Athena goddess who
is the goddess of wisdom and knowledge and won the competition with the sea god

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Poseidon. Furthermore, the government of Athens was limited democracy. And

Athens economy mostly depended on trade.

Sparta was a well known city state in Greece, and located on the banks of the
River Eurotas in Laconia, in south-eastern Peloponnese. When Sparta invaded
Dorians, and brought both the local and non-Dorian population under control, it
appeared as a political entity around the 10th century BC. Later on, it became a strong
and dominant military land-power in ancient Greece. It considered itself as the
Greece protector, providing expert armies to Greece whenever needed. The political
system of Spartan government was a monarchy ruled by two kings. Moreover,
economic in Sparta mainly focused on agriculture rather than trade.

How were Athenian and Spartan women educated?

Athenian women weren¶t expected to get education from school such as how
to write and read. However, they were taught reading at home. They were also taught
necessary household skills such as spinning, weaving, and sewing, cooking, cleaning
and managing other domestic duties by their mothers, and even the slaves whom
their families had. Furthermore, they got education about facts on mythology,
religion and occasionally musical instruments.
On the other hand, since the Spartans believed that if their women are
educated and are able to protect themselves; Spartan women could also manage
property of their husband while he was gone. As the result, most of Spartan women
are literate. At the age of seven, Spartan women were both academically and
physically educated. But they didn¶t receive any knowledge related to domestic work
as Athenian women such as weaving, cooking, sewing, and others because these
kinds of work were responsibilities of helots and slaves in Sparta. For academic
education, they were taught to read, write, and protect themselves. They got cultural
education including poetry, social and religious customs, choral recitation, dance and
music. In addition, music was a main section in religious festival. Spartan women,
therefore, learned to sing and perform dance.
For physical education, Spartan women were trained in athlete competitions
such as running, wrestling, and javelin throwing. Moreover, they were well known

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with their great knowledge in not only breeding and training but also riding
horseback and driving small horse-driven carts.
How did they get married?
Since birth, Athenian girls were highly protected and kept at home. Athenian
fathers arranged and married of their young teenage daughter at early age, normally
at the age of thirteen or fourteen; to men who were 30 years old and sometimes from
prominent families in Athens society. The bride¶s father celebrated a marriage
ceremony call ³gamos´, which the aim is to show that the bride was passed to the
groom. Athenian bride couldn¶t meet her groom until the contracts had already been
approved. The process of marriage was quite very long and complicated. After the
marriage Athenian women were supposed to join or move to live in their husband¶s
family though they weren¶t considered as full member of the new family until they
birthed the first child.
Unlike Athenian women, Spartan women had non-ceremonial for their
marriages. Commonly, they got married at the age of eighteen years old. A Spartan
woman was assigned to married a man who came and abducted her at mid night from
her family. After that, she shaved her head and wear man¶s clothes. Then she was
able to meet her husband, mostly for children purpose. After marriages, husband and
wife lived separately. If husband joined war for too long time, Spartan woman could
find a new husband.
Could they women divorce their husband?
Women in Athens couldn¶t divorce their husband without providing any
reasonable evidences to public official and agreement from their husband. Though
they successfully divorced, they would lose all rights to their children.
Oppositely, Spartan women could divorce their husband without losing any
wealth, properties, and even rights to children.
What did they do when they become a mother?
Athenian women were supposed to give healthy son who would be strong
soldier. Thus they weren¶t allowed to take parts in sport, competition, and military.
On the other hand, being a healthy mother producing strong and brave son to
serve in Spartan armies was a primary purpose for Spartan women since Spartan was
known as strong militaristic city state of Greek. Thus, Spartan women involved in

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military training, did exercises, and join athletic competition to make their bodies fit,
strong and healthy.
How did Athenians and Spartans judge their women?
Athenian women were strongly determined on their artificial beauty rather than
natural beauty. They liked wearing valuable and elaborate jewelry and nice clothes
for being attractive and other purposes.
On the contrary, Spartan women were well known for their natural beauty.
Consequently, they were forbidden to wear or use any kinds of cosmetics or makeup,
especially jewelry, which was a serious avoidance for them.
How sociable were Athenian and Spartan women?
Athenian women had very less freedom. They had a secluded life since they
were forced to stay at home most of the time. They would lose their status if they
failed to do so. Since Athenian women were educated, they couldn¶t have carriers or
hold office in society such as prostitute, market seller, flute players, dancers, nurses,
and mid wives. Only freewomen of poorer classes could do trade in market places,
and went outdoor much more than wealthy women. More than this, women from rich
family were physically protected by their slaves or male relatives, and they had to
maintain and protect their reputation by not talk closely with men. Though Athens
was a democracy, Athenian women still couldn¶t join public activities such as voting
or taking part in state operation. They could neither watch nor participate in the
Olympic Games, military training, and even athletic competitions. But, they could
leave the houses to join religious festival.c
Spartan women, on the other hand, lived freely and left the house whenever
wanted. They were strongly given confidence to speak in public. They could join
group discussion in public. They could involve in military and also politics.
Did they have right to own property?
Spartan women were allowed to own wealth and property. After married,
women in Sparta could own both her husband¶s land and hers, but her land couldn¶t
become her husband land. Aristotle stated that, by the fifth century B.C., Spartan
women owned two-fifths of the land. Spartan women had authority to control,
manage and, abandon the land they owned whenever they wished. They could legally

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pass their land to sons and daughters. In addition, they could also get income earned
form their land.
Even thought Athenian women could own jewelry, clothes, inexpensive
things, they couldn¶t get the kind of ownership as Sparta such as owning land,
luxuries, or any things that put into contract. In short, they didn¶t have financial
independence.
How did they receive citizenship?
In idea of Athenian men, women were less necessary. Thus, Athenian women
weren¶t offered Athenian citizenship.
Unlike women in Athens, women in Sparta were considered as Spartiates and
also citizens of Sparta thought they couldn¶t join public assembly. Receiving
citizenship in Sparta, one had to withdraw profit from owning land to pay for
government. As what mentioned above, Spartan women could own land, so they
could be awarded the Spartan citizenship.
What are the similarities between both of them?
According to what shown above, the life of Athenian and Spartan women are
different from each other. However, they still had several commons. Both of them
were required to get married. And the marriages were arranged by fathers. More than
this, the two were expected to give strong and healthy sons. The two had to bear their
children. They couldn¶t join assembly. They could own property.
In short, women status in Sparta and Athens are quite different from each
other. As we see, while Spartan women were educated to write, read, and know
about cultural knowledge, Athenian women were taught managing household duties.
For marriage, Athenian women were expected to get married in early age, and the
process of getting married seemed be complicated. But in Sparta, women got married
unless they were eighteen years old. Moreover, Athenian women were judged on
artificial beauty, but Spartan woman were judged on natural beauty. And Spartan
women were very active in the public. Contrast of Spartan women, Athenian women
stayed at home most of the time. Last but not least, Athenian women didn¶t have
valuable property ownership as Spartan women.
Comparing ancient Athenian women to women nowadays, there are both
similarities and differences. For similarities, both of them were pressed to produce

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children and take care them, looked after home, and increased their beauty and
attractiveness by wearing additional jewelry and beautiful clothes. One more
similarity is that marriage is an important thing for their lives.
Though they are similar, they are still different from each other. In contrast to
ancient Athenian women, present women can go to work and do their own careers.
They are sociable; they can go wherever they want, do whatever they prefer, and talk
with whomever they like. Moreover, the marriages of modern women are mostly not
arranged or chosen by their parents. Another difference is that women nowadays can
involve or have status in politics and government. They also have right to education,
and to own property as men have.
However, most of what modern women can do is the same as what ancient
Spartan could do. Consequently, we can assume that modern women and ancient
Spartan women share many similarities.
In my own view, if I had been born in ancient Greek, I would have preferred
to be a woman of Sparta.

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References

Breu, M. L. ( July, 12 2005). Women from Sparta and Athen comparison. Retrieved
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Knights, A. J. (2007, September 15). All Empire Online History Community.

Similarities and Differences between Spartan and Athenian society . Retrived,
November, 27 2010, from http://www.allempires.com/article/index.php?
q=sparta_versus_athens.

Hibbison, P. E. (July, 2002). Athenian vs. Spartan women in Antigone¶s era. To have
power or to not have power: Athenian vs. Spartan women. Retrieved
November, 27 2010, from http://vccslitonline.cc.va.us/antigone/athenian-vs-
spartan-women.htm.

Graham. C. Ancient Athenian Women. Retrieved November, 27 2010, from

http://www.angelfire.com/ca3/ancientchix/

Women in Ancient Athens. Retrieved December 10, 2010, from

http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_Ancient_Athens

Women in Ancient Sparta. Retrieved December 10, 2010, from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_Ancient_Sparta