Athenian Slaves And Women Essay, Research Paper

Athinais was Classical Greece? s most celebrated city-state.In the Classical Athens? s society, work forces were recognized as the superior existences, whereas adult females and slaves were the lower signifier of peoples in the society at that clip. ( Perry et al 1996:63 ) .In this essay, I? ll first look into the rights of Classical Athenian adult females and slaves from several different facets and do comparings between the two before judging whether adult females had significantly more rights than slaves.

First, from a political point of position, Classical Athenian society denied both adult females and slaves from and political rights.They were non allowed into the Assembly.This is because Classical Athenians believe that adult females are unable to ground intellectually, they can? t interpret their grounds efficaciously and their logical thinking deficiency authorization because of their inferior position. ( Cartledge 1993:70 ) The direction of the city state was strickly permitted to the free-mens merely, who were the? higher-ups? as Aristotle one time said: ? The male is by nature superior and the female inferior and the 1 regulations and the other is ruled. ? ( Aristotle Politics cited in Perry 1996:63 ) Slaves were diminished, doubtless, by the Athenians excessively, as Aristotle said: ? He [ slaves ] can recognize intelligence in others, although he has none? ? ( Aristotle Politics Extracts paragraph 5 ) .This gives look that slaves do non hold the intelligence to govern, and hence should be ruled.Women and slaves did non take portion in any political activities and both shared the same degrees in this field of political relations.

The city state of Classical Athens had a population of around 100,000 people ( Lewitt 2000:7 ) and the Assembly was the topographic point to run into to discourse the affairs of the city state, but non all 100,000 could go to at one time to discourse, hence, there was a opinion that said merely? citizens? were allowed to go to ( Lewitt 2000:7 ) .This implied that adult females and slaves weren? T? citizens? of the city-state.Citizenship was given to work forces that are above 18 old ages of age, and was heriditary, that clearly excluded adult females ( although if they are free-women excessively ) and slaves. ( Lewitt 2000:7 ) In other words, adult females and slaves weren? t given appreciable position every bit far as the field of political relations and civics are concerned.Plato said in his book Republic: ? He [ non she ] who has the power to take portion in the delibrate and judicial disposal of the province is said by us? to be a citizen of that state. ? ( Plato Republic cited in Burckhardt 1998:109 ) .Women and slaves who made up most of the Classical Athens population were non citizens.

Another similarity that both adult females and slaves shared was that they were under the control of work forces for about the whole of their lives. Womans were controlled by their male parents before matrimony and their hubbies after marriage.slaves were to obey the Masterss all the clip, who were practically Athenian men.Athenian adult females were married off by their male parents during their early or in-between teens to work forces twice their age. ( Papas 1997:104 ) and after matrimony, they serve their hubbies at place.And as for slaves, they were treated as belongingss. ( Aristotle Politics Extracts paragraph 2 ) .But when it comes to penalties, slaves were less privileged than adult females, slaves were normally punished badly is they didn & # 8217 ; t? execute their responsibilities good.Aristippos said in Xenophon? s description of an fanciful conversation between Socrates and Aristippos I punish them [ slaves ] with every sort of wretchedness until I can coerce them to act like a slave should. ? ( Xenophon Memorabilia II.1.15-17 Extracts ) .

Classical Athenian married womans were adult females that were chosen by their hubbies to portion a life with them.This includes conveying up their kids, contribute financially to the household, taking attention of family jobs and fundamentally pull offing their full house. ( Xenophon Oeconomicus 6-10 Extracts paragraph 2 ) Both hubby and married woman have their ain duty in the house and they both need the company of each other because ain have the abilities that the other deficiencies, by this coupling, life in the household would be complete. ( Xenophone Oeconomicus 6-10 Extracts paragraph4 ) .On the other manus, slaves are considered as belongingss of their masters.To say, they serve their Masterss as if they were instruments ( Cartledge 1993:124 ) in the house.They are expected to execute their responsibilities harmonizing to their maestro? s commands.From this position, adult females had a little more rights than slaves.

Womans and slaves spend most of their clip within the compounds of the houses, unlike work forces who spent most of their clip off from their houses ( The Ancient Greek World: www.museum.upenn.edu ) hence, the work of adult females and slaves are about likewise, they? rhenium chiefly household jobs such as raising the kids, weaving, fixing repasts, run uping and so on. ( The Ancient Greek World: www.museum.upenn.

edu ) .But at that place? s a important diferrence, the adult females or married woman, although portion the same work as slaves, they are given the duty to move slightly like a kept woman of the house.They supervised and overlook all the responsibilities that were carried out by the slaves, doing certain everything in the house? s in the right order, and so on ( Xenophon, Oeconomicus 6-10 Infusions, paragraph 8 ) If the an Athenian house were to be compared with a mill, the married woman will move as the mill supervisor, while the slaves were merely common mill workers.

In Classical Athens, Torahs that protected free adult females existed.One that Solon introduces concerned the raping of free Athenian women.Various kind of punishments were to be carried out on a raper, depending on the grade of offenses that he had committed on the adult females. ( Plutarch Solon 20-23 Extracts paragraph 23.12 ) Solon besides dissallowed anyone from selling their girls or sisters into bondage, unless there were significant grounds. ( Plutarch Solon 20-23 Infusions paragraph 23.1-2 ) but for slaves, merely a few jurisprudence that protected them.This showed that adult females was much more favoured by the Athenian society than slaves, in the sense of legal rights.

However, Solon excessively did do some limitations on the activities of both adult females and slaves.For illustration, their visual aspect when they were outside their house were to be modest, so that to forestall disorders. ? ? when they went out they were non to hold more than three garments, non to transport more than an obol? s worth of nutrient or drink, or a basket more than a cubit in size, nor to travel out at dark except in a waggon with a lamp in forepart? ? ( Plutarch Solon 20-23 Extracts paragraph 21.5 ) Slaves were besides ( evidently ) restricted by some Torahs such as they are non allowed to take who or where they want to love with, they have to follow their maestro? s want at all times. ( Grecian Civilization: www.greekciv.pdx.edu. )

Although it was comparatively easy for a adult male in Ancient Greece to obtain a married woman, there must at least be some sum of fondness and love between both the groom and bridegromm.For that, Solon abolished doweries ( payment of money by the bride? s male parent to her hubby ) as he doesn? T want matrimony to be like a trade, but for the intent of brotherhood between both adult male and adult females. ( Plutarch Solon 20-23 Extracts paragraph 20 ) .In add-on, a consent and approval from the brides parents were neede before the matrimony could proceed.To state, the matrimony between adult male and adult females can non be a forceful matter.Adversely, slaves were sold in topographic points like markets and so on, as objects that could be purchased for an sum of money, depending on their age, visual aspect and attitude ( Grecian Civilization: www.greekciv.pdx.edu. )

Womans and slaves of Classical Athinais were doubtless the category of people that were below free-men in the Athenian society hierarchy.But there were besides a certain group of adult females and slaves that were accorded somewhat a little more respects than the usual adult females and slaves of Classical Athens.To name, the Cartesans were a group of adult females that were allowed to hold a societal life.They attended societal maps, and were admired for their humor. ( Burckhardt 1998:251 ) .Some slaves, like the Scythian bowmans were given responsibilities as constabulary officers ( which is considered a esteemed business for slaves ) and those who were educated worked as clerks and so on. ( Perry 1996:63 ) These group of adult females and slaves were the 1s that enjoyed better position and better rights excessively.

Athenian work forces were satisfied sexually by both adult females and slaves.Athenian work forces often engage in sexual activities with his married woman and slaves at place, but these work forces gives some penchants to his married woman as the preferable sexual partner.This is because his married woman would be better dressed and made up than a slaves, and most significantly, the married woman is subjecting into his sexual desires volitionally, whereas the slave have no pick in this, but to merely compel to his/her Masterss desire. ( Xenophon Oeconomicus 6-10 Extracts paragraph 8 ) Ischomacus one time said to Socrates in an fanciful conversation that? adult females who put on air and sit around are ask foring comparing with tarted up seductresses. ? ( Xenophon Oeconomicus 6-10 Extracts paragraph 8 ) The married woman ( adult females ) literally have more rights in this affair than slaves.

Womans and slaves of classical Athinais were ever under the control of Athenian free-men, and they both seem to hold about the same position, but from the analysis done above, it could be said that adult females had somewhat more rights than slaves.

In decision, adult females of Classical Athens had somewhat more rights than slaves, but the position spread between the two wouldn? T be truly significant.Only in certain affairs where adult females had more rights than slaves, but overall, they both had about equal rights, and most significantly they were the on the lower degree of the Grecian Society heirarchy, below free-men.