women
sparta
artemisia
funerary inscriptions reserved only for men who died in war or women in childbirth
spartan women had distinctive style of dress, often connotes semi-nudity. In contrast, athenian women were often veiled in public and escorted
Xenophon tells us that of all greek women only spartans were given the same physical training as men
poetry of Theocritus shows this: 'we all run the same racecourse and rub ourselves with oil like men'
the nutrition and reproductive health of spartan women was a public concern, and this informed any freedom or rights women had
Artemisia was the Queen of Halicarnassus, within the satrapy of Caria, and an ally of the Persian king Xerxes
Artemisia is described as possessing “manly courage” , ‘Andreia’
Herodotus praises her courage and grants her respect, but he is also from Halicarnassus, so probs biased
Athens
women had the rights of a child under the law, and any property she acquired was given to her husband
she had to be veiled or escorted when leaving the house
that is why buildings like the SE fountain house give women an opportunity to leave the house and socialise, as shown in Lysistrata
520BC-500BC, Laconia
bronze as a material is expensive and so suggestive of valued subject matter
Funerals
women are intimately involved in funerals, especially in the mourning phase of the prothesis
women would stay closer to the body and express their full emotions, whilst men would stand at a distance
represented a lot on pottery and on classical grave stelai
Mania (outside of time period)
Xenophon book 3.1
tells us how a woman named Mania resumed her deceased husband's tyranny after his death
she was thus the tyrant ruler of Dardanus in Asia Minor
she achieved this by lubricating her relationship with the satrap through giving gifts and paying over the tribute
she is also described as an excellent general, participating in many campaigns, for example against the Mysians
we are told that Pharnabazus, the satrap, even asked for her opinion on political issues
when she was murdered, her people refused to accept the (male) murderer as her successor, and soon surrendered to the Spartans instead
spartan women were managers of their households, because spartan men didnt live at home until age thirty and were often away after that
spartan women and girls had more leisure time because helots could perform domestic duties
spartan women 'are the only women that are mothers of men' (Plutarch) : the emphasis is on childbirth
but such emphasis on childbirth is conveyed to us through MALE sources, and Spartan women may well have felt differently: that their athletic skills or skill in managing the household were worthwhile too
BUT, spartiate women such as these made up about 6% of Spartan women, including helots, who were not so lucky
no ancient literature about helot women
primary occupation was in food prep and textile production, as in rest of Greece. this was a full time job. they may have to engage in agricultural labour during peak season
Xenophon tells us that this was strictly the work of the helots, and not Spartiate women
an Ionian woman is shamed by a spartiate woman for being good at weaving: this is an activity unbefitting of a free person (Plutarch)
we can thus assume helots were treated poorly and with disdain
Tomyris
Cyrus, the Persian King, sought to conquer the Massagetae who were ruled by the Queen Tomyris
Cyrus managed to take Tomyris' son, Spargapises, captive and he later committed suicide
In her anger, she launched her army and in this battle Cyrus the Great met his end, either through direct beheading by Tomyris herself, or fatigue in battle
although even Herodotus admits this is just one version of the story, it is clear that Tomyris lived and ruled
Priestesses
Argos
Here, the tenure of the priestess of Hera was used to date historical events of the day, an increased level of eponymy
this was comparable to that of male archons whose tenure of office was also used to date events
to date the beginning of the Peloponnesian war, Thucydides cites the tenure of the priestess at Argos
Pythia at Delphi
trusted as an oracle on a range of significant issues such as war, tyranny, other political affairs
for example, Herodotus book 7 tells us of a priestess named Aristonike who was consulted before the battle of Salamis in 480
She emphatically urged the Athenians to leave their city
the Pythia was always chosen from women who were not well-born or rich
terracotta black-figure pinax
520-510BC
now at the Met
shows women in usual signs of lamentation, with limbs outstretched
Thesmophoria
a major state festival, for women
in Athens, husbands were required to pay any expenses incurred by their wives during the hospital
the location of the festival was close to the men's place of assembly, suggesting they were of comparable importance
while the festival was happening, any assembly that needed to be held was done so in the Theatre rather than the Pnyx - men were displaced
happened just once a year
Amasis Painter
shows women weaving, probably in a workshop
c. 540
one woman is seated, and she's probably the boss, shows there was a hierarchy within the scene
Women in symposiums
Phintias women at symposiums, could show that women may have had their own symposium
or shows the women at the Thesmophoria
so women are present alongside men at symposiums
they are playing kottabos, the symposium game
certain high class prostitutes experienced a certain level of freedom, but only in the prime of their beauty
loutrophoros for marriage
from c. 480 they push a really romantic angle of marriage, make the husbands the same age as wife, showing erotes flying around
