Athens and Sparta were two of the largest city-states of Ancient Greece. Their lifestyles and cultures could not have been more different from each other. Sparta was a military state, heavy with pride for its strength in battle, while Athens' culture was one of art, philosophy, and democracy. The men not only lived completely separate lives from each other, but so did their women. Athens and Sparta treated their women differently. Which of these two city-states gave the women living in them a better life? Was it better to be a woman in Athens or Sparta? This article will show how the women in Sparta were given a better life than their counterparts in Athens.
Women in Athens
Athenian women were no better than slaves to the men that surrounded them. They were not allowed to speak or even be seen in public. They lived most of their lives inside of their homes preparing meals and tending to the house. The only way they could leave to go out into the streets was if they were supervised by a man. Education was rare to them. Only a select few had any form of education and even that was taught to them from inside their homes.
They were banned from any political involvement. Their sole purpose was to reproduce and take care of the house and properties. They were not allowed to own any property; the lands of their husbands and fathers went to the closest living male relative. The women were also entrusted to him, and the wife would have to marry the male relative who took over the property. The only events that women were allowed to attend were those of a religious nature. Women were severely punished for adultery and did not have any sexual freedom outside of marriage. Despite lacking any freedoms, they were still considered citizens of Athens.
Women in Sparta
Spartan bronze figure of a running girl, wearing a single-shouldered chiton (British Museum)
Women in Sparta enjoyed freedoms that most women did not have in ancient times. They were expected to be just as strong as the men and underwent physical training, including running, gymnastics, and wrestling, although it was not as rigorous as the men's training. Reading, writing, and oral traditions were also integral parts of their education, as the men were too busy with war training to learn these skills. Therefore, it was up to the women to preserve and pass down histories from generation to generation. Like their male counterparts, they engaged in constant competition with each other, striving to reach their best abilities and gain higher standing among Spartan women. Through participation in competitions, they upheld the honor and pride of the Spartan people. Unlike the women in Athens, they were not silenced; they were encouraged to speak publicly, even among men. It was expected of them to publicly shame men deemed cowards or unmarried by the age of 35.
Spartan women also enjoyed a degree of sexual freedom. They were allowed to have multiple sexual partners even within marriage, a practice aimed at increasing the population of warriors and fulfilling the honor of bearing many children for the city-state. Spartan women regarded childbirth with great esteem and honor. Gorgo, the wife of Leonidas, was recorded by Herodotus as saying, "Only Spartan women give birth to real men," expressing the pride they took in childbirth. Furthermore, Spartan women could own land and other forms of property. If a father had no other children to inherit his property, it would pass to his daughter, allowing them to be heiresses, unlike in Athens. Despite these freedoms, Spartan women were not granted citizenship. Nonetheless, they enjoyed freedoms that Athens denied to their women.
Sparta granted their women a freedom that was rare in Ancient Greece. Men in Athens often looked down upon this freedom, and even some of the great Athenian poets like Aristotle would degrade Sparta for it. Both Athens and Sparta primarily viewed their women as tools for bearing children above all else. While some argue that Sparta's freedom for women stemmed solely from the necessity for extensive childbirth, freedom is freedom. Sparta's attitude towards women was more liberal compared to that of Athens. In Ancient Greece, Sparta was undoubtedly the better city-state for women. Spartan women had the freedom to mingle among men, to own property, and access to education, privileges not afforded to the women of Athens.
Source:
https://www.worldhistory.org/article/123/spartan-women/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_classical_Athens
