Ή θέσις της γυναικός εις τους αρχαίους χρόνους
Part of : Πλάτων : περιοδικό της Εταιρείας Ελλήνων Φιλολόγων ; Vol.ΛΒ-ΛΓ, No.63-66, 1980, pages 88-113
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88-113
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The Status of woman in Ancient times
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The ancient Greek women were not treated uniformally in the different localities and among the different tribes. Their status largely depended on each race's conception about traditions, moral beliefs and social differences. It varied also from period to period. We need greatly the help of Archaeology, since we do not have writing exclusively dedicated to the woman. In the Minoan and Aegean civilizations the status of woman was very privileged. During the Homeric era women kept in some ways their preeminent position. It is this era from where the tragedy poets get the heroines of their stories. Hesiod, however, can be called as the first misogynist because he accuses women about a lot of things. He, e pecially presents the institution of marriage as the worst of all evils. Iambi also express e negative attitude against the females. During the fifth century Athenian democracy the woman does not enjoy many freedoms. She remains at home and does not participate the democratic process of decision making. During the fourth Century the woman represses further more and performs only the duties of a housewife, mistress or haetera. The Comic poets do not offer safe information about the status of women. The Philosophers do have an enlighted concept about the self worth of women as human beings and they even reach the point of initiating them into the realm of Philosophy. The Orphies excluded women from the initiation to mysteries. This ambiguous and mixed view of the ancient Greeks about women's position in society is kept continually including the Hellenistic times.
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