Greek Women Vs Hellenistic Women Essay

The treatment of women during the Hellenic and Hellenistic eras differed from area to area with Polis’s such as Athens and Sparta, though geographically close, had different standards and laws set for women, while also sharing similar cultural views on women. Differently, with the rise of Rome, there was an introduction of more rights for women and a contrasting view of the relation between husband & wife, yet also retaining similar views to that of the Greeks. Lastly, the successor kingdoms of the Hellenistic era are where there is a significant divergent of how women are treated and viewed, with powerful female rulers springing up from these kingdoms. Athens was arguably the most restrictive of the four when discussing women’s right and how they were view in that society. Particularly, women were often resigned to spend most of their adult lives indoors and tending to the estate. Contrasting their husband’s active political lives which meant spending large periods of time in the gymnasiums & symposiums. Also, Athenian women were not seen as full citizens but instead “vessels of citizenship” to be used to transfer citizenship to heirs. Similarly, daughters of Greek families,

Ultimately, this were powerful female rulers such as Cleopatra and Arisnoe The Second originate, contrasting queens in Greece which possessed little to no power. Likewise, women also had far greater freedoms, with the ability to travel freely between the cities and could express themselves artistically. More importantly they were also granted full citizenships and were not just mere vessels to pass it on to later generations. The freedom women had in these kingdoms, were leagues ahead of any of that in the Hellenic Era with queens were even seen as goddesses with their own