Euripides Attitudes Towards Women

The role of women and the general attitudes towards the female sex were less than equal in the Greek world. One of the most prominent attitudes towards women during this period was summarized perfectly by a character in Euripides’ play, Melanippe. In his play, the character remarks, “except for my mother, I hate the whole female sex.” This feeling of deep respect for mothers but total disrespect for all other women is seen throughout Grecian society. For example, Apollodorus convinces the jury to award him damages from Polycles by making an emotional appeal to the courts. He begins his plea with a histrionic account of his mother’s sickly and near-death state, then, almost as an afterthought mentions his wife and children. He states, “my mother lay sick and was at the point of death while I was away. I was home for only six days when, after she had seen and greeted me, she breathed her last. She often sent for me before this, beggin me to come to her by myself.” Apollodorus seems to dramatize and attach guilt to his mother, while those same
One sample comes from the poem, “On Women” by Semonides of Amorgos. He states, “One from a wicked vixen he created, expert in every trick.” Women were viewed as cunning and evil while also tempting and not to be trusted. As such, the term Kalos Kakos, roughly translated to “the beautiful evil” was often used in referring to women. In this way, a paradox in viewing women is created and helps to explain Semonides of Amorgos’ attitude towards women in his play. For, with the exception of Oedipus and perhaps a handful of other men, the mother was a woman that was not tempting and could be trusted, unlike the rest of the female sex that were