Ancient Greek Women Essay

In a society that was purely patriarchal and misogynistic, women in the ancient world had few rights. Men and women were usually separated into different worlds, each with their own set of responsibilities and rules to follow. It is hard to fully define what women were like in antiquity simply because there can be no such thing as a “typical woman”, women differ from polis to polis and depended on social and economic background. The one thing that was expected of any woman was to belong to citizen families and maintain that family by giving birth, preferably to future male citizens. During the Classical period, roughly between the fifth and the fourth century B.C.E, Greek women played a small role in society, the public world of the Greeks
Athenian women were restricted from participating in outside events, which men were only allowed to participate. From time to time, women were allowed to socialize with their female friends at the local water fountains. However, during cult ceremonies of major religious festivals, women were allowed to participate in these events, only under one circumstance, they must be accompanied by their kyrios, or male guardian, be that her husband or any other male relative. All in all, religious festivals were a social outlet for women. For example, in the case of Thesmophoria, a festival for Demeter, men were excluded entirely, and women were able to freely walk around without her kyrios. Adherents of the cult of Dionysus were called maenads and were mainly women. When they were inspired by Dionysus they surrendered to a newfound sense of freedom and well-being, this inspiration came mainly from wine, which Dionysus was god of. This gave women an opportunity to break free from their usual confinement in the Greek culture. Women’s involvement in these festivals was not only significant because they made an integral part of the fabric of society, but it also gave them an opportunity to participate in the outside