Spartan And Athenian Culture example essay topic

While Spartan and Athenian culture occurred at the same time in very close proximity there are many differences in culture when it comes to women's place in society. The book defines the Athenians as a cultured, sophisticated, and cosmopolitan where the Spartans were a basic, earthy, and traditional culture. This can be seen in the treatment of the women the role the women play in society. Both societies believed in many of the same gods but the Spartans were a more war oriented people. The main differences were that of child rearing, marriage, and women's place in society. Spartan women were much different from Athenian women in that they were better educated and it was considered important a woman be able to protect herself.

Girls were taught in the same manner as the boys. They were all expected to exercise naked in front of their counterparts and athletic feats by both sexes were valued. Women trained with men until around the age of twelve when girls learned book skills for a short time until they were married. Marriage in Spartan society was a non-ceremonial event. The woman was pulled from her bed in the middle of the night by her future husband. Her head was shaven; she was forced to wear men's clothing and lye on a straw pile in the dark.

From then on she would interact with her husband for almost all procreation intentions. The act of this would bring a girl into womanhood. Many men and women of Sparta had multiple partners because any man could abduct a wife. Women of Sparta had little to do with the upbringing of their own children; instead the care of the children was handled by nurses.

Every child was examined by the five ephors, who were responsible for determining whether a child was worth raising. If the child was deemed unfit to continue life the child was placed in the mountains where its life would end. Spartan women had many rights that other Greek women did not have. Women could own their own property and have total control over it.

They also had the power to take another husband if the first had been away for too long. In war time a woman was expected to watch their husband's estate while he is gone and protect it from invaders. Spartan women were more or less the same status as men. The status of women in Athenian society was very minimal. Their status in society was only slightly above that of slaves. Athenian women were not well educated and were not expected to learn how to read and write.

Menander, an Athenian, wrote, "Teaching a woman to read and write? What a terrible thing to do! Like feeding a vile snake on more poison". This was the common view among men. Athenian women were classified into three general classes; the lowest of which were the slave women. These were the women that carried out the menial or domestic chores.

The slaves were responsible for raising the children of the wife. The second class was called the Athenian citizen women and was in the middle of the other two classes. The highest class of women was the Hetaera e, who had some education and some access to areas that were off limit to the other classes of women. These women while in higher standing than the others still only maintained a status similar to prostitutes. The power that they had was very minimally significant. Girls in the Athenian culture are raised differently than males starting at birth.

While boys are educated in books girls are taught domestic jobs such as spinning, by their familie's slaves or their mother. Girls spent their childhood preparing for marriage. Marriages were arranged by the bride's father and were accompanied by a great deal of ceremony. The ritual was important and surrounded by a large celebration.

They included ritual baths, sacrifices to gods, a feast at the bride's house, and finally ending at the father of the grooms house. After the ceremony the bride would assume the responsibilities of her new household. The amount of domestic work that was desired depended on the number of slaves she had. Her main purpose was to produce healthy children.

There are many similarities between both the Spartan and Athenian female role. In both cultures children were judged at birth and if they were not seen as fit were left to die. In the Spartan society this was decided by the five ephors and in Athenian society the father decided. When a woman was married in these different societies the ceremonies were very different.

The two practices are almost opposite besides the act of cutting the brides hair. It is interesting to find any comparison in these two conflicting practices. In these two different civilizations it is revealing to find similarities in culture and lifestyle. The most important role for women in these societies and any other society at the time was to produce children.

Reproduction was considered very important because the people of the time could see its necessity to continue with life. In either society no matter what the role of the women or her class her main responsibility was to reproduce. Her worth was the offspring that she could produce. If she did not produce what society called raise able children she was considered meaningless to society. In both civilizations and other civilizations at the time the women's responsibility was to produce offspring. In contrast the main difference in the role of women of the time was due to the war like nature of the Spartans.

The Spartan had five elders determine if a child was worth raising and the Athenians left the decision up to the father. Obviously the father would have a bias that the elders would not. This most likely produced much stronger children, boys and girls. In Sparta all of the children were taught together until the age of twelve when the boys went into the military. They understood that strong women would produce strong children and expected this. The Athenian children were separated and the girls were taught domestic jobs from either their mother or the slaves of her family.

Among the most important of these skills was the capability of weaving. This was the most important skill that an Athenian woman had to learn. Child rearing in these two societies is considerably different. While the Athenians had a public creimony to perform marriage rights the Spartans practiced marriage very differently. Marriage is a section of culture where these two societies contained very different beliefs. To an Athenian woman her wedding day was a very important day.

The day did not have the same meaning for a Spartan woman and was not even on a planed day. Her suitor came in the middle of the night and surprised her by taking her from her room and shaving her head. It was not exactly the most romantic of ceremonies. Athenian women prepare for their married life up until the time when it happens. Marriage shows the diversity of the two cultures and how the Spartans were more war-like.

The status which a woman held in society was also very different in the two cultures. Spartan women held a position which was very similar of men. They were able to own property whereas the Athenian women were basically property themselves all of their lives. Unlike Spartan women, Athenian women were not allowed to own property of any kind. All that they had belonged to their father and then to their husband. Spartan women mainly came into contact with their husband for reproductive purposes.

Spartan women having the right to own property shows their independence in comparison with the Athenian women. Both cultures occurred in very similar surroundings at the same time but if looked at closely are very different culturally. The areas which were the same were the practices of judging a baby at birth and the important role of women to produce offspring. Child rearing was considerably different in the two societies. Marriage ceremonies show the contrast of the two cultures and display a Spartan war-like nature.

Women in Spartan society contained a much higher position in comparison with the Athenian women. While these societies are somewhat similar there contrast can be seen when the status of their women is studied.