Marriage In Hellenistic Society

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Pre-modern concepts of marriage are very different from today's views in many ways; because of these differences, it can be easy to dismiss Hellenistic marriages as loveless or purely functional. However, it should be noted that there are definite examples of these marriages being mutually supportive and loving. One can see these characteristics especially well in two works, Oeconomicus by Xenophon, and Alcestis by Euripides. Although differing in plot, these two stories demonstrate both the mutual support and love that can be found in Hellenistic marriages. In Xenophon’s Oeconomicus, Ischomachos describes his own marriage to Socrates who then relates it to Kritoboulos, and consequently to the audience as well. This marriage retains many of the same functional characteristics that are commonly seen in Hellenistic marriages, but it also exhibits some less common, but still very significant details of how the marriage is mutually supportive, especially in terms of these details of the institution of marriage in Ancient and Athenian Greece. It is evident in the way that Ischomachos describes his wife’s duties to her, that there is a definite teacher-student dimension in their relationship. However, it should be noted that Ischomacus’ intimate knowledge of his wife’s tasks allows him to do something that is not altogether common in modern society—understand the difficulty and complexities of his wife’s duties, and how important they are to the household as a whole. This knowledge and appreciation of his wife’s work is manifested in his response when she makes a mistake with the housekeeping, saying charitably, “Don’t be discouraged, woman…you aren’t at fault in this, but rather I am”(Oeconomicus, VIII,2). By this statement he recognizes the team element of the marriage, and emphasizes that not fulfilling ones duties hurts the marriage in general, in this case taking
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