Women's Role In Sparta

Question 1: With reference to source A, what does the evidence reveal about the roles and status of women in Spartan society.
In Sparta, women were well respected and had multiple roles within society. They were given more freedom than in most other Greek societies. The main reason for this was the fact that Sparta had a warrior culture and the men were away either at war or training for war. while the men were away the women had multiple roles. The most important of which was to give birth to healthy Spartan children to become warriors. Some of the other roles women had included; participating in religious festivals, and managing the kleros.
As mentioned above, the most important role of Spartan women was to give birth to healthy Spartan babies to become warriors. Xenophon stated “for free women the most important job was to bear children”. In order to produce healthy children, women underwent physical training. This was because it was thought that a healthy mother would produce a healthy child. Lycurgus stated that only women who died in childbirth would be allowed to have a marked grave. Archaeological evidence has been found to support this statement. This highlights the
Archaeological evidence has been found at the sanctuary of Artemis Orthia. This evidence includes hundreds of votive offerings. These offering were usually lead figurines in the shape of women. It is thought that these figurines symbolised childbirth and pregnant women would make these offerings either to ask for a successful childbirth or to ask to bear a strong, healthy son. Women also took part in three of the major festivals that took place in Sparta; the Karneia, the Hyakinthia and the Gymnopaediae. At the Hyakinthia, women rode in ceremonial chariots, marched in procession, sung, danced and took part in sacrifices. At the Gymnopaediae, women would compete with the males in athletic