Young Women - 2 Flashcards
Describe the upbringing of an Athenian girl, including the kind of education she received?
- She was under control of the Kyrios (male head of the greek household), he would decide whether the baby was welcome or subjected to exposure (leaving unwanted baby outside the city to die)
- This was not illegal or immoral as the baby was left in the hands of gods
- Girls were more likely to be exposed as they preferred boys as they could grow up and make money for family.
- A girl would be married to another household and an expensive dowry given to husband
- Poorer Athenian families would exposed baby girls
- Athens had no education system
- Family would arrange tutors in literacy and numeracy, music and PE (mainly for boys)
- Young girls would be educated by mothers and learn practical skills so they could be a good kyria.
- subjects like weaving, spinning wool, cookery and managing household
Describe the customs surrounding betrothal and marriage of Athenian girls?
- Marriage arranged by Kyrios once reached puberty (14)
- Almost like a business deal, swearing on an oath infront of a witness
- Betrothal = engagement
- They would be classified as married at the Betrothal
- Wanted to be beneficial for both families
- dowry was part of negotiation
- compensate for the grooms family providing the bride with a nice life - protecting the wife
- If the husband wanted a divorce he would have to return the dowry, encouraging men not to mistreat their wife’s
- If he had spent all the money of the dowry he could not divorce
- The Athenian wedding lasted 3 days, first day joined by females relatives and friends sharing a feast
- Bride would make sacrifices to Artemis goddess of childhood and virginity (offering a lock of child toys and her hair)
Describe the ubringing of a Spartan girl, including the kind of education she received
Women did not go to war but played a vital part in the militaristic system. The Spartan elders would decide whether to keep a baby or not depending on if it is healthy and able, therefore will be use to the society.
The would engage is physical trading just like the boys. This was excellent standard as were valued just as important to train. They also ate a ‘completely modest diet’. This dedicated lifestyle was crucial to the Spartan society as it ensured they had a higher chance at producing healthy babies that could then therefore fight at war for their country.
Describe customs surrounding betrothal and marriage of Spartan girls
Young men and women would have had plenty of oppertunity school to interact from a young age, so the brides would usual not be strangers to their grooms. There was no financial aspect to Spartan marriages, main purpose was just to produce strong Spartan children. Spartan girls did not marry till late teens or early twenties as older girls were physical stronger and therefore had a higher chance to survive childbirth.
On the wedding day, a Spartan bromide would have her hair cut short and wear mens clothing, she would lie on the floor of her bedroom waiting for her husband, whilst her husband would be having dinner at his normal syssition followed by going back to his med at the military barracks. Throughout the night he would sneak out and get the bride taking her back to the bed and consummate the marriage. This was so they were secretive and more excited to see one another, thefore leading to more vigorous sex which they believed produced healthier babies
Describe the upbringing of a Roman girl, including the kind of education of education she recieved
- when a Roman child is born it was under the control of the Paterfamilias, the male head of the Roman family and would be under control entire life. Who is in charge of deciding if a child is excesses of the family if you picked it up and lifted it into the air and family family if this didn’t happen the baby would be given to the family slaves or the midwife to expose.
- Roman girls are at greater risk of being rejected them boys as they were a greater financial drain on the household because they would not work and they would usually need to be provided with an expensive dowry.
- The first few days of living they would be put on the couch out of Juno the goddess of marriage and the Queen of gods who would watch over the baby for his first few days
- Most of the girls time will it be spent in the home and for richer Romans they be taught reading, writing, and arithmetic from a teacher known as a Literator
- There is no state education system in Rome so families had to arrange education for the children’s therefore poorest families would not have been able to afford the children to be educated and if they could educate one child it would be the son rather than daughter
- girls have also been taught domestic tasks such as spinning wool, weaving textiles, cooking and managing the house. Poor families would also teach girls how to trade so they could earn more money
Describe customs surrounding betrothal and marriage of Roman girls
- Roman marriages were rarely based of love between the bride and groom instead a select appropriate match for the unmarried woman was made by the paterfamilias, To benefit him he would either have to be solidifying a business improving the social standard for one or both of the family is having a financial game for the grooms family thanks to a large Dowry
- from the moment when both families had agreed to match and dowry the couple were betrothed. However a young girl was free to reject her fiancé if she believed he was unworthy.
- Wealthier families celebrate in engagement by throwing a party they be invited to the bride’s house and her groom to be would give her gifts especially a ring to wearing her for finger on her left hand as they believe the rain was running directly for the full finger to the heart
Explain how an Athenian girls education was meant to prepare her for life
Young girls would be educated at home music by their mothers they could expect to learn a range of practical skills so that they could therefore be a good Kyria in later life
Explain why a girl might prefer to be married cum manu
The wife legally transferred her husbands family so she could inherit property from her husband if he died they would no longer inherit from her father women would also be given the title of a massive Amelia’s if their husband was the past camellias of his family unit
Turn my new marriage the children with belong to the same family as her mother and father
Explain why a girl might prefer to be married sine manu
These marriages are more common the The bride remained under the legal control of her original past camellias and the woman would be able to inherit from her parents so kept the money within immediate family. These marriages did not require a gallery but would be less secure if the diary wasn’t there as the husband could easily treated divorce have no dowry to repay
Children were considered part of the fathers family But not necessarily the mothers
Describe the significance of the different parts of an Athenian wedding ceremony
- Day one the bride to be joined by her female relatives and friends and they would share a feast, sacrifices to Artemis in her capacity is God a child and virginity, she would also offer a lock of hair as well as her children toys to thank the goddess for her protection during childhood. They also made offerings to her a goddess of marriage and Aphrodite goddess of love.
- Play two began with a ritual bath for the bride and was intended to purify heard enhance fertility after the bath to be dressing the finest clothes and jewellery available , The most symbolic part being available to cover her face and symbolise her modesty. Then her Kyrios would have a wedding feast in the home for both families involving fine Food plenty of wine music and entertainment. (As a citizen women were usually excluded from drinking at parties and they cannot attend so wedding feasts were a great opportunity to socialise). Procession was then followed involving the groom literally dragging the bride away from her mother putting her in a cart and taking her to his house. Torch is lit the way to one of any evil spirits, The women would throw through flowers at the couple symbolising fertility and the men would sing wedding songs. The car percent find the sign that the bride could now not returned her previous home, making their way to the bedroom which was decorated with flowers and spend the night together in our friends with Steingard singing songs and banging on the door
- On the final morning the brides female attendance and still be outside their room I’m guess would be given by the members of the new family including clothing perfume jewellery cosmetic tools
Describe how a Spartan girls education was meant to prepare her for life
Although spartan women did not go to war they played a vital role in ensuring the success of the militaristic system. Spartan girls are intended to be trying to help them they’re healthy children and to encourage the men to excel at training

Describe what Spartan customs surrounding betrothal and marriage imply about the status of girls in Sparta
Unlike in Athens boys and girls with exercise outside in full view of each other and the girls are actively encouraged to hack all the boys if a boy was seen to be lazy or training bad they would insult him however if they excelled in training day praise him to motivate others.
The girls parents would’ve probably have a hand in arranging a suitable match however there are no financial aspects of spartan mergers instead the main purpose was to produce strong Spartan children
Sporting goals did not marry until much later probably in their late teens or early 20s who were in their physical prime thought to be able to produce stronger children are more likely to survive childbirth
