Women in power

Question 1

How did the Athenian assembly work?

Answer 1

• held every nine days
• a herald would introduce the topics that had been selected by the Boule
• wealthy, educated citizens used their speaking skills to persuade the crowd
• to vote members of the assembly raised their hands and a magistrate would count the votes

Question 2

What things that made you eligible for the Athenian assembly?

Answer 2

• being an Athenian citizen
• being over eighteen
• having served in the military for at least two years
• not and never been a slave
• have paid all taxes
• male

Question 3

What was Praxagora’s plan in Aristophanes Assembly Women?

Answer 3

• she made a plan to take power from the men of the assembly and give it to the women of Athens
• wore disguises to make them look like men
• the important point of her argument was that women managed their households in the traditional way, whereas the men only wanted new things just for the sake of change, this lead to prosperous households

Question 4

What was Agnodice’s life and trial?

Answer 4

• Agnodice is the first recorded example of an Athenian doctor for women (it was against the law for women to train as doctors)
• trained as a physician in Egypt and when she returned to Athens she cut her hair short and disguised herself as a man
• women in Athens trusted her more than male doctors
• male doctors became suspicious and claimed ‘he’ was seducing their wives
• at her trail she revealed her woman’s body and she was proved innocent
• rare example of women involving themselves in the public here of politics

Question 5

How did the Roman senate work?

Answer 5

• Rome’s central governing body was known as the Senate
• each year the people of Rome voted for next year’s magistrates
• consulship was the highest position, there were only 2
• having two meant one man couldn’t have too much power

Question 6

Who was Fabia?

Answer 6

• she was able to indirectly change the law to let plebeian men apply for consulship
• married a wealthy man of plebeian origin
• jealous of her sister who married a consul
• her father put forward an amendment to the law which was eventually passed

Question 7

What was the story of the Oppian Law?

Answer 7

• law banned women from making public shows of wealth
• when financial crisis passed the law still endured
• Livy explains how crowds of matronae blocked streets around the forum, this was a large-scale, multi-day, organised protest
• men accused of the protesting as they should keep an eye on their wives
• eventually Senate voted and law was repealed through the women’s protesta en putting pressure on male relatives