Daily Life for Greek Women Essay

Open, View, and/or
Download this Document

Total Length: 2765 words ( 9 double-spaced pages)

Total Sources: 10

Page 1 of 9

Odyssey: Daily Life for Women

When it comes to the Greeks, Homer's Odyssey is recognized as a piece of literature that was not just about gods, men, and creatures, this historical read served as a cultural example about the women and their place in society. This book, provides a wide-ranging view of the Achean's peacetime people. Throughout Odyssey, a person is able to pick up some understanding of what is appropriate or inappropriate in relationships among servant and master, father and son, guest and host, god and mortal, and--notably -- woman and ma. It is clear that the women are the ones that perform an important role in Odyssey. With that said, this essay will explore the daily life of women from the literature Odyssey.

Social customs, marriage, rights and freedoms

While Odysseus is looked at as being an interesting figure, the women persons in the Odyssey are just as equally important as the men even if they were serving as second class citizens to Odysseus in a patriarchal society. The women are the ones who have this for sure place in the order offered in the classics, and many appear as though they were docile and respectful while others are evil and rebellious. Nevertheless, while they may appear that way, most in the society had to just play a certain role in order to survive.

When it came to the social customs, the Odyssey provides two real extreme versions of women in ancient Greek society. For example, when it comes to the traditions women like Penelope is seen as the type of the ideal woman. This is because society wanted Greek women to be the symbol of chastity, generosity, intelligence and cunning (Fagles). During the course of the years that Odysseus is gone, she remains loyal to her husband, devising schemes so that they are able to keep the suitors away. It was the social custom of the ideal woman to never turn away a suppliant and she was supposed to even be able to possess the intellect to test her husband upon his return if possible.

The social life of women in ancient Greece frequently reflected the obedient female copy. Women were limited from taking part in outside events in which men were took part in. Since "outside work," was looked at as a place for women to come to be "possible victim of rapists and seducers" (Graves)women were made to stay indoors. The house was looked at as being secure place to be for them; on the other hand, inside the home, women were regularly raped by their own spouses. A social life for a Greek woman was only attained in boundaries "within her husband's house and the area of his power" (Cahill). This specified that a woman was allowed to meet people outside her household if her husband approved her consent and if her husband had some kind of big position or authority in civilization. Even though men were outside the house, hunting, trading, and working the fields, "women stayed in their households" (Austin). The mainstream of activities girls were tangled in were "essentially domestic" (Katz).

The approach that marriage was looked at when it came to the ancient Greece was that women were to honor their spouse. For example, the words that said "Until death do us part" are a good sample of the way this civilization actually thought marriage was supposed to be. Marriage in The Odyssey is centered on appealing to the woman then actual having the best affiliation. Penelope and Odysseus have a close connection and are in reality, a good counterpart, which is not the same as most of the other Ancient Greece marriages and relationships. All through the Odyssey Penelope's will and honor in the direction of her husband is tested to the max. When it comes to marriage the women in that society were expected to be on point with their husbands by being supportive and stand by their man just like Penelope did. Nevertheless, at the end of the day Penelope had this notion that her husband would not return to her but she stayed loyal because that was expected for Greek women in marriages. Even though others tell her that he is not coming back, she somehow recognizes that it is not true. In the meantime all of the suitors have got their eyes on her and really want to marry her. Although Penelope is very persistent to the suitors they will not back down. This is interesting because Greek women in that society were taught to stay loyal to their husbands no matter what and Penelope was that ideal example.

Stuck Writing Your "Daily Life for Greek Women" Essay?

View All Our Example Daily Life for Greek Women Essay

Have A Custom Example Essay Written

It is also amazing to see that even 10 years after her affectionate husband has been away, Penelope stays fervent to Odysseus and never leaves his side. In ancient Greece, marriage is the most significant promise a person is able to make. In their civilization according to Odyssey it is giving yourself to another person, and getting them in return.

During the Odyssey era, early marriages led to disturbing and shocking age gaps. It was observed as the standard for fourteen-year-old girls to be married off to that were around thirty years of age. For the reason that "the regular age of death for men" was about forty-five, many "productive women that did not have a husband" had no chance. Therefore, numerous "children would be orphaned early in life" (Cohen). In addition, "childbearing" and early marriage (Graves) led to numerous "death(s) women in childbirth" (Cahill). To provide an account of the great number of deaths that took place because of childbearing that came early, "the amount of death of women throughout childbirth" can be "associated to the death percentage of men all through war" (Carlson). Before newborn babies could reach the age of one, "nearly fifty percent of all infants died" (Carlson). Additionally, all children the women gave birth to would "belong" to the husband's family more so than to the wife's side of the family (Thompson). Here, the children can be seen as an issue of property. Other than playing the role of the child bearer, females served as housewives.

When it comes to rights and freedoms, in The Odyssey women are looked at as being unequal, plus they are treated differently, and are considered lesser to men. All through the epic Greek women are not given hardly any amount of admiration by males. The men characters of The Odyssey are the ones that expect to see particular traits and characteristics of women that they do not anticipate of themselves. When it came to property, women were giving restrictions. In the Odyssey the only circumstance in which a female was inherited property was through a male brother: "wives were not able to inherit from husbands, nor daughters from fathers; but sisters could were able to inherit from brothers" (DeBois).

This example shows that a female simply acquired possession of inheritance if a brother passed away and the sister could then claim his property. Essentially, property "was managed by the (husband, father, and son)" (Grant, Atlas of Classical History, 5th ed.). Moreover, young girls did not even have the right to get married if they "did not have any kind of dowry" (Cohen). Dowry, which is a type of inheritance was basically seen as a requirement for marriage. The circumstances of getting some kind of inheritance were constrained and controlled for women, and the laws were mostly more positive towards men. The disparity that occurred among women and men inside the society of ancient Greece demonstrates a time of great discrimination and prejudice towards females. Alongside with the challenging issues of property, women came across numerous obstacles and boundaries comparative to social life, upholding the lowliness among females.

The ownership and distribution of inheritance was somewhat complicated and unfair during the Odyssey era. In this era, "a woman's property at all times stayed separate from what her husband would have but that is if she had any at all (Grant, Atlas of Classical History, 5th ed.). However, it was obvious that the husband was the one that possessed total control of the possessions "while he was still alive," and "control was given to their children (if adult) or their guardians when he died" (Morford). If a child or relative were to die, her legacy would go straight to the husband, in place of being shared among the wife and husband. A woman could get property if she "stopped being his wife without bearing him any children" (Fagles). A woman could also get an inheritance under this specific condition but she "could not involve in transactions involving possessions respected at over one load" (Grant, Atlas of Classical History, 5th ed.). This boundary prohibited women from getting any authority or influence in "governmental and financial operation(s)" (Katz). At the end of the day, the limit of trading at a fixed low exchange can be understood as a glass ceiling, which reserved woman from reaching a high status in….....

Show More ⇣

     Open the full completed essay and source list


OR

     Order a one-of-a-kind custom essay on this topic


sample essay writing service

Cite This Resource:

Latest APA Format (6th edition)

Copy Reference
"Daily Life For Greek Women" (2015, March 13) Retrieved May 12, 2025, from
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/daily-life-greek-women-2149626

Latest MLA Format (8th edition)

Copy Reference
"Daily Life For Greek Women" 13 March 2015. Web.12 May. 2025. <
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/daily-life-greek-women-2149626>

Latest Chicago Format (16th edition)

Copy Reference
"Daily Life For Greek Women", 13 March 2015, Accessed.12 May. 2025,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/daily-life-greek-women-2149626
   

Open, View, and/or
Download this Document
order custom essay example