Women in Athens and Sparta

Paper Summary:

This paper compares the situation of women in Sparta and Athens and explains that they come from opposite cultures. Sparta women were free citizens and held the same privileges as the men. Athenian women were considered property and virtually no rights at all. It points out that Spartan women trained in athletics like men, while Athenian women were forbidden from even attending athletic competitions as spectators.

From the Paper:

"This differed greatly from Athenian women who rarely even left the confides of the women's quarters. Women in Athens were servants to their men. Their duties were "to produce children for the oikos, and to guarantee its integrity by cooking, weaving, childrearing, and the supervision of the household goods" (Foley, Helen. Refelctions of Women in Antiquity. Gordon and Breach: New York, 1984. P. 150). Aristocratic Women in Athens were forbidden from even doing shopping. This was the duty of the men. In fact, Athenian women hardly ever left the house. To the Athenian mind, "Spartan women served as the "Other" vis-a-vis Athenian women. For example Spartan women spent their time out-of-doors and spoke freely to men; Athenians ideally stayed indoors and scarcely spoke to their husband" (Fantham, Foley, Kampen, Pmeroy, and Shapiro, Women in the Classical World, P.63)."

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