Women And The Spartan Women - 1730 Words

Throughout ancient human history, men and women held vastly different roles. Women were often given the duty of bearing and raising children, whereas men were expected to fight, provide an income, and protect the household. Women were seen as totally inferior to men and described by Euripedes as â€Å"a curse to mankind† and â€Å"a plague worse than fire or any viper.† However, this misogynistic view of women and designated role of inferiority was not apparent in every ancient civilization. The role of the female in ancient Greek history can best be explored and contrasted between two important civilizations: The Spartans and the Athenians. The Spartan women were incredibly advanced for their time, and the Athenian women were drastically far behind. Both the Spartan and Athenian women held roles at home and lived lives far removed from the men of their societies. However, their lives were much different. While the Spartan women were strong and educated, the Athenian women held a status almost equal to slavery. The Spartan women were far more advanced than Athenians in aspects of life including education, athleticism, and independence. In no other city-state did women enjoy the same freedom and status as Spartan women. As a military-driven society, the Spartans realized that â€Å"regardless of gender all Spartiates had an obligation to serve the militaristic end of Sparta.† With this focus in mind, women were allowed more freedom, rights, and independence. Spartan women wereShow MoreRelatedThe Athenian And Spartan Women894 Words   |  4 Pageswoman in Athens and Sparta but also comparing them to women today, along with Greece lifestyles between the men and women. Although, women back then had different task they had similar duties as women do today. With that being said the women had complex duties as well and not just the men. The roles between the Athenian and Spartan woman were different. After looking at multiple article and reports I’ve come to a conclusion that the Spartan women were treated better. A big reason for that would beRead MoreThe Life Of Spartan Women2027 Words   |  9 PagesThe lives of Spartan women were unusual in the sense that they were very different from those of other Greek women. In Athens, for instance, women were confined to the domicile and wore clothing that covered and hid their form. In Sparta, this was not the case at all. Sparta enjoyed communal ownership of property and all things, in essence, belonged to the State—men, women, children and goods. Thus, all were equal (or nearly so) before the State’s needs and women had more freedom to move aboutRead MoreSpartan Women vs Athenian Women2261 Words   |  10 Pagesmilitary dictatorships are modeled on Sparta. However, history shows us that women had much more liberty in Sparta than in Athens. In f act, the democracy of Athens was available only to free men who were citizens of Athens. Moreover, to claim citizenship, an Athenian had to prove that both his parents were astoi. For the father, being astos meant that he was an Athenian citizen, but the mother could not be a citizen. Women were never citizens, but only able to transmit the rights of citizenship toRead MoreThe Rise Of The Spartan Empire And Its Women1602 Words   |  7 PagesRise of the Spartan Empire and Its Women A Spartan mother handed her son his shield as he prepared to march off to battle. She said, â€Å"Come back with this or on it.† Beginning around 490 BC when civilization was ruled largely by men; every man was proven their preeminence within their society based highly on their woman. As stated in the book, â€Å"Warrior Ethos,† Leonidas picked the men he did not for their â€Å"warrior prowess† but he instead picked them for the courage of their women. Women in the SpartanRead MoreAthenian Vs. Spartan Women2260 Words   |  10 PagesDespite Athenian and Spartans being associates of the same influential nation, these two states or ‘Peloi’ and denominations of people in Ancient Greece in (400BC) were substantially different. The women in their own distinct societies endured several problematic issues and experienced inequity, demoralisation and condemnation. The notion of women and their purpose was typically conjectured by men in society, specifically Aristotle who claimed that women brought ‘disorder, were evil, were utterlyRead MoreLife in Ancient Greece: Spartan Men and W omen1673 Words   |  7 PagesLife in Ancient Greece: Spartan men and women Bernice Gelin Professor Shepardson November 18, 2008 World History The ancient city of Sparta has had a lasting impression on the world today. Sparta was a model of discipline, conformity, militarism, and virtue. It was a prominent city state, but its society was unique from typical life in Greece. Sparta was a military state, believing in having only the strong and not the weak to maintain theRead MoreSpartan Women During The Era Of The Golden Age And Late Of Classical Age Of Ancient Greece1421 Words   |  6 PagesClassical age of Ancient Greece, from the years 520-321 BC womens roles were significantly different between the two mainly Greek city state Athens and Sparta. These roles that the women presented had huge differences in a way women were portrayed in their societies. Both cities were very different in many ways, the females were raised very differently, and had different duties they had to perform. For example if you commit adultery by Spartan women it was considered tolerated and encourage in their societyRead MoreThe Women Of Ancient Sparta And Athens1310 Words   |  6 Pagesbeen noted that very little rights were given to women during ancient times. Women have always had to fight for some kind of rights such as the right to vote, serve in the armed forces and for equal pay to name a few. This was no different for the women of ancient Sparta and Athens. During this time, the rights of women were different depending on where they lived. Although these two city-states were close in proximity but the rights of the women of Sparta and Athens were not the same. This paperRead MoreWomen Of Ancient Greek Vs. Athenian Women892 Words   |  4 PagesWomen in Ancient Greece Differences Ancient Greece is a country that houses two of the most infamous societies in the world known as the Spartans and the Athenians. Women of ancient Sparta were known as strong minded women who enjoyed more freedom than Athenian women. Although Spartan women were to a certain extent dependent on men, they had some influence in men’s politics, which poses the question: in what form did they influenced the decisions made by Greek men? Much like Spartan women, theRead MoreThe Birthplace Of Democracy : Ancient Greece1129 Words   |  5 Pagesalways had issues. Sparta and Athens are very different from the way they are administered as well as their practices. Athenians were the most scholarly types while the Spartans were more of the military type. Due to the fact that Sparta had a very military lifestyle, they were good at raising strong outspoken women in a society where women were kept at home. Sparta is located near the river of Evrotas in southern Greece. Citizenship in Sparta was based on land ownership. These citizens participated