Sexual Politics of Sparta & Athens
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Describe the different sexual politics of Sparta & Athens. According to the film why were Spartan women both admired and feared by ourselves? How did the experience of Spartan boys differ?
When looking at the culture of Ancient Greece it is extremely important to give a considerable focus attention to the two most prominent city-states, Sparta and Athens. Both Sparta and Athens though significant in their own rights, were vibrantly different in the way that they were run. This is particularly true in the case of sexual politics of each city-state and the varying treatment of the sexes. Another point of incredible noteworthiness is that Spartan women were both feared and admired by all. Spartan women however were not the only ones to lead unique lives. Spartan boys were also subjected to a completely different way of life, previously unheard of in any ancient culture.
In Athens, things were much like the typical ancient society. Men were completely dominant in all aspects. Only men possessed any form of political power. In fact, women were not even allowed to go out in public and were very much confined to their homes. Women seen in the streets risked their reputations as well as their respective husbands. Women were to be obedient and were generally regarded to be useful for one thing and one thing only: life at home. Women were also expected to marry as soon as they reached child-bearing age (about twelve years old) 1. These women were also expected to produce children as well as manage the home while the men were away. It was extremely important or the woman to produce a male child so that an heir would be produced to take over his fathers estate. Women were not allowed to own land or property in fact, “any property that she might have inherited would go directly to her husband.2” The education of women was also something that was nonexistent. The Athenian view of education was perhaps best stated by Menander, an Athenian; “Teaching a woman to read and write? What a terrible thing to do! Like feeding a vile snake on more poison. 1” Athenian womens Spartan counterparts were completely different.
Sparta was, during its time, a very unique place because it encompassed a completely different way of life. Though men were still the only ones with power in the Senate, Spartan women were by no means the inferior compatriots of men. Spartan women were naturally graced by stunning beauty that captured the attention of multitudes of Spectators.1 This attention was not only given because of their beauty, but because of their impressive athletic physiques as well as their stunning athletic feats. This feature however should not be taken lightly. Women of Sparta were encouraged to be just as athletically and intellectually fit as men. They were also not your average women in terms of their behavior. Spartan women were domineering and left to enforce the warrior-ethic in the streets of Sparta. Masters of laconic speech, Spartan women could cut down even the greatest of men with their sharp tongues. 1 However this does not entirely cover all of the differences between Athenian and Spartan women. In Sparta, women were allowed to own