Download Although he is of age and Athens is at war Hippolytos chooses not to

Although he is of age and Athens is at war Hippolytos chooses not to live a public life. Hippolytos: “I’ll tell you the most I wish for: to win a race in the Pan‐Hellenic games, then come home to live gracefully, drawing friends from the best men in town, and in our political life to come in second. Granted such a career, success would lie within my exertions. A relaxed style of life would have more appeal than a king’s.” Public and Domestic Life in Athens Men are mainly occupied with the public affairs of the city state while women, children and servants are confined in the domestic sphere. Public Life Men had a dominant role in public life as citizens: In Politics In Warfare In Public Events Citizens In most city‐states citizenship was limited to free males born from a citizen father who had reached the age of eighteen. When Pericles was archon he restricted the law. To be a citizen, a male now had to have both a citizen father and a mother who was the daughter of a citizen. Birth though was not enough to become a citizen. A man also had to get the city to recognize his right to citizenship. Politics In the Funeral speech delivered for the Athenian dead in the first year of the Peloponnesian war, Pericles, says:"Our public men have, besides politics, their private affairs to attend to, and our ordinary citizens, though occupied with the pursuits of industry, are still fair judges of public matters; for, unlike any other nation, regarding him who takes no part in these duties not as un‐ambitious but as useless, we Athenians are able to judge at all events if we cannot originate, and, instead of looking on discussion as a stumbling‐block in the way of action, we think it an indispensable preliminary to any wise action at all. Again, in our enterprises we present the singular spectacle of daring and deliberation, each carried to its highest point, and both united in the same persons; although usually decision is the fruit of ignorance, hesitation of reflection. But the palm of courage will surely be adjudged most justly to those, who best know the difference between hardship and pleasure and yet are never tempted to shrink from danger.” Thucydides, Pericles Funeral Oration Warfare The right of citizenship went hand in hand with the requirement to serve the army and military service was regarded as a privilege rather than as a duty. Hoplites (soldiers) – Hippeis (Cavalry) Public events Theatre Olympic Games Domestic Life Women, Children and Slaves
The Role of Women In the Funeral speech delivered for the Athenian dead in the first year of the Peloponnesian war, Pericles states: “Women’s greatest glory is not to be talked about by men, either for good or ill.” Thucydides, Pericles Funeral Oration (2.45.2) Penelope: An Example of a Woman’s Role The faithful wife of Odysseus Their father controlled them before they were married Their husband controlled them once they were married They had no political rights Spent most of their time in her household with other women‐ only leaving the house to perform religious duties Women’s main role was to be good wives and they were responsible for the domestic arrangements and were held accountable if anything went amiss. Also responsible for the upbringing of children The Role of Children Until the age of seven children (both boys and girls) would be under the protection of their mother Only boys would have a proper education (sxolazw=school) and at the age of 18 and for two years they would serve at the military after which training they would be able to become citizens Entry into the worlds of the adult and the citizen: Boys At the age of 18 the festival of Apatouria The Festival lasted three days: Day one: The members of the clan feasted together Day two: Sacrifice to Zeus and Athene Day three: Sacrifice to Artemis accompanied with the boy’s dedication of a lock of hair to Artemis to signify his passage out of childhood He would then serve 2 years in the military after the completion the boy would take an oath in front of all the gods that he would defend his city and that he would never abandon his peers in the battlefield. Full citizenship would come after his marriage, which is after his mandatory military service. Entry into the World of the Household Girls There were no rituals for girls to signify their passage from childhood to adulthood, but girls were given the privilege of being in the service of a deity, where they learnt important household skills‐spinning, weaving, sewing, cooking and other household jobs and also simple facts on mythology, religion and occasionally musical instruments. In Aristophanes’ comedy, Lysistrata, a member of the chorus describes this privilege: “At the age of seven I served as one of the arrhephoroi; at ten I pounded barley for our Lady (Athene); then, shedding my dress of saffron, I served as a Bear for Artemis in the Brauronia festival; finally, having grown into a tall and comely young girl, I served as kanephoros and wore a necklace of figs.” The most important moment in a girl’s life was the day of her marriage. Priests did not direct weddings in ancient Greece. Instead, a set of rituals were followed, after which the couple would live together. The rituals started with baths. The groom then would go to the bride’s house in a chariot or a cart. A feast may be held at the bride’s father’s house, after which the groom would take his bride back to his parents’ house. They were greeted at the door by the groom’s parents and led to the hearth. There they were showered with nuts and fruit. The couple then retired to their bedroom. For the wife to be fully accepted into the groom’s family, a child had to be conceived from their union. Slaves They had no rights at all, neither political nor civil. Their master had total power over them. Slaves in the house (male and female) Slaves working in the fields (male and female) Σοφρωσύνη Sophrosyne = moderation, balance The notion of sophrosyne is a term etymologically meaning moral sanity and from there self control or moderation guided by true self‐knowledge and even chastity. Greeks upheld the ideal of sophrosyne, which means prudence and moderation but ultimately its complex meaning, so important to the ancients, is very difficult to convey in English. It is perhaps best expressed by the two most famous sayings of the oracle at Delphi: "Nothing in excess" and "Know thyself."