Sources about Women
Narrow perspective; lack of voice; lost sources; limited female sources
What did women manage within the home?
Finances and general management of the house (e.g., slaves)
Who regulated prostitution in ancient Greece? BONUS: In what century?
Solon in the 6th century BC
Name the three areas we look at for women's roles in religious life
Priestesses; Festivals; Funerary Rites
A man who teaches a woman to write should know that he is providing poison to an asp
Menander
Highly important as mothers of citizens; seen as forces of chaos; seen as having to be protected and sheltered
What is the ancient name for household?
Oikos
Name some economic roles of lower-class women.
Waitresses; vendors; spinners and weavers; entertainers; wet nurses
What is the ancient name for a priestess?
Hiereia
The male is by nature superior and the female is inferior ... one rules and the other is ruled
Aristotle
Name THREE types of sources that provide evidence about women
Vases; inscriptions; literary works; poetry
What household activity is mainly depicted in Athenian vase painting?
Weaving and making cloth
What is the difference between pornoi and hetairai?
Pornoi were prostitutes and hetairai were companions/courtesans. Hetairai had a higher status and did not have a main sexual role
Describe the process of the Pythia
3 legged stool; offering to Apollo; fell into a trance; unintelligible utterances given to those who had requested them
The greatest glory of a woman is to be least talked about by men
Pericles (quoted in Thucydides)
What do we need to consider with interpreting vases?
Vase-painting was essentially a man's view of a man's point of view
Why were women valued as mothers?
They could pass on citizenship and legitimacy to their children
What is a symposium? BONUS: Who was the main entertainment here?
An ancient Greek drinking party. Hetairai would entertain the men through music, dance and gymnastics
What do we need to consider when considering the religious roles of women?
Still under the influence of men; Designed to enlist divine aid in upholding the traditional ideals; not described in any detail
Women are the greatest plague that Zeus has made
Simonides
Why is it important to study women in the ancient world?
Which women were more likely to leave the household to go to the public drinking fountain?
Poorer or lower class women
How are prostitutes identified on ancient vases?
Vanity and luxury items; containers for lubricating oil; musical instruments; moneybags; turban-like headdresses
Name some contestability issues involved in studying women's roles and status in religion
Answers could include the identity of the Pythia; female only rituals (men excluded; mystery cult); Euripides' Bacchae (tragic play)
This historian gave evidence of important men, Leonidas and Themistocles, who visited the Pythia
Herodotus