Athenian marriage customs Flashcards
When would marriage have been arranged for an Athenian girl?
As soon as she reached puberty, around the age of fourteen.
How would making a marriage match be handled?
Like a business deal, with no room for romance. Kyrios would select an appropriate groom and they would agree a dowry. It was common for a kyrios to give his daughter in marriage to one of his friends or business partners.
How did the betrothal (engagement) ceremony take place + when would it happen?
The woman and the man would swear a solemn oath in front of a witness. From then on the couple were considered legally married. However, betrothals could happen at any age and it was common for years to pass before the actual wedding ceremony.
What was the primary concern of the kyrios when making a match?
That the relationship was going to be beneficial for both families.
Was a dowry an important part of negotiating an Athenian marriage?
Yes
What would happen if a kyrios could not offer a dowry?
The kyrios would have difficulty in arranging the marriage of his daughters.
What could the dowry have been intended for and what would it help?
The dowry could have been intended to :
-compensate the groom’s family for the expense of providing for the bride
-Could help protect the bride, as if a husband wanted to divorce his wife he would have to return the dowry.
How did a dowry help protect the bride?
If a husband wanted to divorce his wife, he would have to return the dowry. This could have encouraged men not to mistreat their wives or to seek a divorce without a good reason.
What would happen if the dowry were large enough and the husband had spent the money?
He would not be able to divorce his wife at all and she might be able to use this fact to influence him.
How long did an Athenian wedding last?
Three days
What would happen on the first day of an Athenian wedding ceremony?
-The bride would be joined by her female relatives and friends and they would share a feast.
-The bride would make sacrifices to Artemis in her capacity as goddess of childhood and virginity
What would the bride offer to Artemis and why?
A lock of hair and childhood toys. To thank the goddess for her protection during childhood and to ask for continued favour as the bride entered adult womanhood.
Other than Artemis, who may the bride have also made offerings to?
Hera (goddess of marriage) , and Aphrodite( goddess of love)
What happened in the second day of an Athenian wedding ceremony?
-Day began with a ritual bath for the bride, and afterwards she would be dressed in the finest clothes and jewellery available.
-When she was ready, kyrios would host a wedding feast for both families as well as close friends.
-After the feast , the torchlight procession would commence.
What was the bride’s ritual bath intended for?
To purify her and enhance her fertility.
What was the most symbolically important part of the bride’s costume in the wedding ceremony?
The veil, which would have covered her face and symbolised her modesty.
What would the wedding feast after the ritual bath have involved?
Fine food, plenty of wine, music, and entertainment.
Were citizen women allowed to attend the wedding feast?
Yes, it was one of only a small range of social occasions that women could attend.
What happened in the torchlight procession?
The groom would literally drag the bride away from her mother, she would be put in a cart, and taken to the groom’s house.
What did the torchlight procession represent?
The bride stopping being a member of her childhood household , and becoming a member of the groom’s household.
Why was the torchlight procession a spectacle?
torches lit the way to ward off evil spirits, men sang wedding songs accompanied by musicians , women would throw fruit and flower at the couple, symbolising fertility.
What happened at the end of the torchlight procession?
The bride would be taken to the hearth of the groom’s house, the symbolic centre of the home.
At the end of the procession, what part of the processional cart was burned and what did this represent?
The wooden axle of the processional cart was burned. This represented the fact that the bride could not now return to her previous home.
What happened after the part of the processional cart was burned?
The couple would retire to their bedroom, decorated with flowers, and they would spend the night together.
What would the bride and groom’s friends do while they spent the night together and why?
Their friends would stand guard, singing songs and banging on the door. This may have been to prevent evil spirits from cursing the marriage, or to offer moral support to the bride who was about to lose her virginity.
On the final morning of the wedding ceremony, who would still be outside the couple’s room?
The bride’s female attendants, with some of the male guests.
What would happen on the final morning of an Athenian wedding ceremony?
The celebrants would sing wedding songs and the bride would be given gifts by the members of her new family, intended to help the bride in her new life.
What would the gifts given to the bride on the final morning of an Athenian wedding ceremony include?
Clothing, perfumes, jewellery and cosmetic tools.
Why were eyewitnesses very important to an Athenian wedding ceremony?
Because the Athenian government did not keep a record of married couples. If someone ever claimed that the couple were not married, then the eyewitnesses would be called to give evidence.
