Greek Cultural Context Flashcards
Kyrios
The male head of a Greek household. Legally responsible for his wife, their children, and unmarried female relatives.
Oikos
The Greek household.
Stele
A stone or wooden slab, used in Ancient Greece (but also Rome) as monuments, gravestones, boundary markers, etc. In their use as gravestones we could see how men and women would be ideally remembered after death.
Dowry (also applicable to Rome)
Payment of money/property/resources from the bride’s family to the groom or his family, upon marriage.
Erastes
The elder man in a pederastic relationship. Expected to behave as a mentor, but often also had sexual relations with the Eromenos.
Eromenos
The younger man/boy in a pederastic relationship. Passive role.
Gymnasium
Enclosed areas for Greek men (mostly young and wealthy) to train their bodies and play sports. Athletes were expected to be nude, and Gymnasiums were often where pederastic relationships began.
Symposium
A Greek drinking party, often taking place after a banquet. Would have music/recitals, and lively conversation and debate.
Andron
The room(s) of a Greek house reserved only for men.
Gynaeceum
The room(s) of a Greek house reserved only for women.
Role of women in Ancient Greece/Athens
They hardly left the house, outside of some religious festivals like the Thesmophoria, or important events in a man’s life (birth, marriage, or death). This is due to social taboo, but also the amount of work they had to do to maintain the Oikos from within. Slaves would be sent to run errands.
Even in the house they had segregated rooming, and wives were not allowed to meet or entertain male guests. If a woman was with a man at a party, it was assumed she was a courtesan.
Female sexuality
There was a large anxiety around the sexuality of women in Greece (and we somewhat see this later in Rome, too).
They would ideally be chaste, fertile, and beautiful, but were often perceived as instead being sex-mad and having no self control. Thus, to ensure they only had legitimate children, they needed to be kept away from all men except their husbands.
Pericles’ Citizenship Law
451 BC, legitimate Athenian citizens could only be born of a man and a woman who were also Athenian citizens by birth. A likely origin of the intense anxiety around female sexuality.
Role of men in Ancient Greece/Athens
Must contribute wealth to the Oikos, and participate in the Assembly (if an Athenian citizen over 20) to vote on matters affecting the state.
Military service was also compulsory for all able-bodied male citizens from the age of 20 to around 60, depending on health. Expected to behave with moderation, and train their bodies to be in good physical condition.
