Women's Roles In Ancient Greece

The common view in ancient societies was often that this was a world of men; that women were inferior. There’s often debate on the role of women in society, but in reality, women play an important role in any type of society, whether it is good or bad. Women in ancient Greece, China, and the Roman Empire were able to exercise influence into their culture despite the discrimination toward them. Although each society was different, women shared similar influences in their power, and restrictions in the aspect of marriage. Although most of these ancient cultures viewed women similarly, of these three locations, the women in the Roman Empire had it best. In Ancient Greece, there were often split views on women, which could be categorized in to

The role of women in ancient Greece can be revealed between the fall of Athens in 404 BC and the rise of Alexander the Great in 330 BC. These transformations occurred due to the effects of the Peloponnesian War, which was a 30 year conflict that brought down Athens. In response to the increased poverty due to the war, Greek women had to start working outside of their home in order to help their society. According to Demosthenes, a writer in the fourth century, women now worked as nurses, wool-workers, and grape-pickers for the city. In Athens, women became visible and appeared as the center in the discussion of sexual and political equality. In addition, the also were very prominent in the law courts, on issues regarding citizenship

But, this should not be the case. Things such as the property and political advantages could be transferred to the woman by marriage and depended on the mothers’ ability to give birth, and educate their sons. As men would sit through an examination system, the importance of a well-raised and educated son became very evident. A woman’s nurturing of her husband and children were a hallmark of the wife’s ability to help improve the status of the family which she married into. The appreciation of women lied in their talent of being good helpers. For example, being a good helper consisted of a woman’s role as a parent and household manager (Zurndorfer).

An exception to the normal view of women in Chinese society was Ban Zhao. She was a well-known woman, who belonged to an elite and prominent family. She was an accomplished historian and scholar, and she contributed to many important texts in the Chinese society. She composed a well-known tract for women. This included and offered advice to brides from elite families on how to behave correctly towards their husbands. In addition, due to her father being an important official, she gained access to the imperial court, and from this she gained fame as a