Women in Ancient Greece: Limited Rights and Restricted Roles

Despite their worship of goddesses as guardians of justice, wisdom, and peace, the attitude of the Greeks to their own women was very different.

Women could not take any part in politics for they weren’t recognized as citizens. They could not vote, nor could they run for political positions. Very few received education or were trained in an occupation that took place outside the home. The only women who played a prominent role outside of the home were priestesses. They had to obey their husbands after being wed at the age of 15 to a husband chosen by their father. Most women in Ancient Greece could not own any property, except for their own personal belongings. However, if there were no male heirs when her husband died, the inheritance could pass to the wife. Women in Sparta could inherit the land, though laws around this changed when almost 2/5 of the land in Laconia belonged to women.

Greek women made family clothes, curtains, couch covers, and cushions for wooden furniture, from woven wool or flax. This was done in their home, in a specialized room called the ‘gynaikon’. In this room, women would gather to work on their looms, entertain their friends, or supervise their children. Women, like Men, wore a loose tunic called a ‘chiton’ with a cloak over the top. Women wore a full-length chiton (a man was only knee length). The chiton was usually dyed red or yellow, tied at the waist, and fastened with shoulder brooches or long bronze shoulder pins. Before spinning the wool, the fleece was steeped in hot water to clean the wool. The dyes, which would color the cloth, were made from seashells or insects. Red roots of the madder vine could dye cloth red, oak bark could dye cloth brown, and woad leaves could dye cloth blue.

Cosmetics were very popular amongst Greek women, with skin creams and different types of perfumes being used. Greek women were also known to use ground-up chalk or white lead as face powder.

Women were never allowed to attend the symposiums (drinking parties), even those hosted in their own homes. The well-born women of Greece, particularly in places like Athens, did not socialize often with their husbands. Female slaves and even young boys could attend these symposiums, often chosen for their beauty. These ‘hetairai’ (foreign or low-born women) would entertain the men at these parties, often trained in dancing or playing music.

Greek women would also be required to make all the meals for the household, with the help of the household slaves. Poorer women were also required to collect water from public fountains (this gave them some opportunity to socialize). The wives of farmers were also expected to work on the farm.

Sparta was a Greek city-state located in Southern Greece known as the Peloponnese. The landowning, citizen upper class in Sparta were called ‘Spartiates’. Spartiate women enjoyed social status and respect unknown to all women in the Greek city-states of this time. From birth they were treated like men, fed the same food, and allowed to partake in the same exercise. They were not married until their late teens or early twenties. Spartan women were not confined to their homes, and they were given a far better education in literacy and numeracy, as they had the responsibility of running the households while their husbands prepared for war.

In conclusion, while ancient Greeks worshipped goddesses as symbols of justice, wisdom, and peace, their treatment of women was vastly different. Greek women were not recognized as citizens and were prohibited from participating in politics. They had limited opportunities for education and employment, and their lives centered on domestic duties. Despite this, Spartan women were an exception, as they were given more freedom and education, which allowed them to take on greater responsibilities. The ancient Greek society's treatment of women is a reminder of the importance of advocating for gender equality and the need to recognize women's rights as fundamental human rights.