Upbringing and Education of Athenian girls Flashcards
Who was an Athenian woman under the direct control of from birth to death?
Her kyrios
When a baby was born, what decision did the kyrios make?
Whether baby would be welcomed into the household or be subjected to exposure
Why were baby girls at a greater risk of exposure than boys?
Greater strain on family’s resources
Boys- could grow up to work in family business, inherit family estate, help to boost family’s reputation
Girls- would be married into another household, kyrios would have to give expensive dowry to husband’s family
Why did some poorer Athenian families expose baby girls?
Kyrios would have to give an expensive dowry between 5%-20% of kyrios’s total wealth.
Did Athens have a state education system?
No
What type of education in Athens would have usually been recieved by only male children?
Having a range of subject-specialist tutors in subjects such as literacy, numeracy, music, and physical education.
How were young girls in Athens usually educated?
At home, by their mothers. Taught practical skills they would need to be a good kyria later in life. Spinning wool, cookery, managing household finances and managing household slaves.
What was the kyria?
The wife of the kyrios, under direct control of her husband.
Who was the kyrios?
The male head of a Greek household, with responsibility for an authority over wife, children and any unmarried female relatives.
What was a dowry?
An amount of money paid to a prospective grooms by the bride’s family.
What was exposure?
The ancient practice of leaving an unwanted baby outside the city to die.
What was a wetnurse?
A woman who looks after and breastfeeds another woman’s baby. They were common in Athens. Usually slaves, foreigners or poorer citizens who charged for their services.
How did class differences impact the sort of education a girl was likely to recieve?
Lower-class girls, who may have taken an active role in running a family business , might have had more extensive training in finances and record-keeping than their upper-class counterparts.
