Role and Status of Women, Legacy of Trojan War

Question 1

Role of women in Ancient Greece

Answer 1

Most women were married off, as marriage joined powerful families together for economic, political, and military advantage

Question 2

Representations of Helen

Answer 2

Polarised representations as either a very beautiful woman who was a victim of an abduction or a willing partner.

In Troy, she was depicted as either a treacherous siren who rejoiced in the misery she caused, or as an unhappy faithful wife who wanted to return to her husband

Question 3

Women as Properties

Answer 3

“The society depicted by Homer … clearly reflects a strong system of patriarchal values. In an atmosphere of fierce competition among men, women were viewed symbolically and literally as properties - the prizes and the spoils of context - and domination over them increased the male’s prestige.” (Sarah Pomeroy)

• Women as prizes for men

Question 4

Sexualisation of Women

Answer 4

“Helen was a creature irresistible to men … an idol of female beauty and sexuality; both lusted after and despised” (Bettany Hughes)

• Role of women (as represented by Helen) as sexualised items

Question 5

Euripides “Women of Troy”

Answer 5

After the destruction of Troy, women were assigned to each of the victorious Greek soldiers as part of the spoils of war.

Question 6

Andromache

Answer 6

Andromache (Hector’s wife) was given as a trophy of war to Neoptolemus, the son of Achilles. The Greeks took her son Astyanax and threw him from the battlements of Troy.

Question 7

Cassandra

Answer 7

• Cassandra was daughter of Priam and Hecuba, and sister of Hector and Paris.
• As well as being a princess, she was also a priestess and prophetess who foretold the many disasters of Troy.
• Cursed to have no one believe her prophecies and sought refuge in the temple of Athena during the war. Afterwards, she would be given to Agamemnon as a prize of war.