Through men’s writing, we gain insights into Greek views of women. Ancient male authors demonstrated their fears of and desires for women through fantastic and mythical tales about monstrous females. Essayist Jess Zimmerman said female monsters represent “the bedtime stories patriarchy tells itself,” which were prevalent in Ancient Greece. One of the most famous pieces of Greek literature, Homer’s Odyssey, is full of these women. At one point, Odysseus must choose between fighting a six-headed, twelve-legged beast-woman or a female sea monster. 

 

In almost all these tales, the woman had somehow rejected her proper state of nurturing caregiver and met her end at the hands of a heroic male. The Odyssey states women’s role clearly, “Go inside the house, and attend to your work, the loom and distaff, and bid your handmaidens attend to their work also. Talking is men’s business.” But the city-states of Greece were different from one another, and literature does not always reflect the realities of life in the past.

 

Greek mythology did not shy away from the image of a strong, warrior woman.

In fact, many Greek histories, epics, and folklore describe an entire race of warrior women known as the Amazons, who were supposed to be the daughters of the god of war, Ares, who had been denied their role as nurturing mothers. Their origins were unknown, described as existing at the far-reaches of known society near the Black Sea, in a community of  women. Men were allowed into their society only for breeding purposes, though some myths claim Ares was the father of them all. They are described as wearing hoplite armor, using a bow or spear, often on horseback, and being tall and muscular.

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These warrior women are also said to have stood toe-to-toe with the greatest of Greek warriors according to the mythology of the time. Hercules was challenged to the impossible task of stealing Queen Hippolyte’s girdle. He was ultimately successful, but according to some legends, it required a full army to overtake the Amazons. Hercules is also depicted in pottery fighting the Amazon Andromeda. Future ruler of Athens, Theseus, fell in love with Amazon Antiope and abducted her, only to lose her in battle as the Amazons fought to bring her home. Even the ultimate Greek warrior, Achilles, took on the Amazons. Toward the end of the Trojan War, the Trojans were calling in every favor they had in hopes of holding off the Greek alliance. The Amazons arrived from those far reaches of society and their best warrior, Penthesilea, was sent to duel with Achilles, who had already killed countless Trojan warriors and heroes. There are contradicting versions of the story from there. In one version, Achilles slays her as he did the best men of Troy. In another, he slays her, but falls in love with her as his one true equal just before she dies. In yet another, she kills him, only for the gods to resurrect him and have him defeat her.

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Herodotus claims that the Amazons eventually combined with another traditional warrior people, the Scythians, and settled in southern Russia, becoming the Sarmatians. However, proof that the Amazons existed is speculative at best. Yet, that doesn’t diminish what they can tell us about Greek society’s view of women. Amazons were used by the great to symbolize the horrors of what happens when women abandon their traditional mothering roles. At the same time, if these women are entirely fictional, they were still purposefully created by the Greeks. The Greeks, who were enamored with perfection in every way, may have imagined a society of powerful, self-sufficient women who could tussle with the strongest men Greece had to offer. The woman who could challenge Hercules. The woman who could best Achilles. ​

 

Classicist historian Mary Beard explained that in the ancient tradition, female subordination was deeply ingrained in the culture in accounts of the time both in the East and West. She wrote a gendered analysis of Homer’s The Odyssey using Penelope as an example. In the story, she said, “as Homer has it, an integral part of growing up, as a man, is learning to control the public utterance and to silence the female of the species.” Beard went on to explain that entire works were dedicated to the absurdity and inferiority of female power. Examining the stories about the mythical Amazon women, Beard concluded that, “The underlying point was that it was the duty of man to save civilization from the rule of women.”  She elegantly showed that oratory and power in the West have always seemed to be a male sphere of influence. 

 

In the real world, however, women’s lives were far more restricted. Athens, for example, is viewed as a pillar of democracy and freedom, but Athenian women were basically slaves to the men around them and had no voice in business or politics, so democracy was truly for (free) men. Upper class women were pushed into the domestic sphere, not allowed to speak in public, or at times, to even be seen in public. They lived inside their homes, preparing meals and tending to the house. Education for women was rare and only available to wealthy women. They didn’t have property rights or rights as widows. The only events that women were allowed to attend were religious ceremonies. Women were punished severely for adultery and did not have any sexual freedom outside of marriage. Although some Athenian women were merchants, potters, or other professionals,  they were routinely secluded from men (possibly even in the home), had no legal recourse in the courts, limited economic power, and no political voice. They were allowed to be citizens of Athens but what is citizenship without freedom?

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Sparta was a world apart. Spartan women participated freely in almost every aspect of their city-state’s social life. Women were trained as athletes because Spartans believed women needed to be physically healthy to survive birth. They were seen outside the home, and girls were educated within the home just like the boys, although the boys would typically go on to private school. Through liaisons with men other than their husbands, Spartan women could also acquire control of more than one home and surrounding lands, and many became wealthy landowners. There was a significant number of widows in Sparta who had lost husbands and sons in the wars but never had to worry about survival because they owned the land and knew how to make it profitable. The purpose of sex within marriage was to create strong, healthy children, but women were allowed to take male lovers to accomplish this same end. Same-sex relationships among men and women were not uncommon and were pursued for pleasure and personal fulfillment. These relationships were regarded as natural as long as both parties were of a certain age and had consented. However, we must not forget that Spartan society could only exist because it practiced slavery and was exceedingly brutal in order to maintain social order.