Questia states, “Despite their vital role in Ancient Greek and Roman society, women were not considered full citizens and in most instances required a guardian – their fathers, and later husbands – to represent them” (“Women in Ancient Greece and Rome”). As his poem progresses, Homer presents female characters in different aspects, demonstrating that women should not be confined to the standard they were held in that society. At the beginning of the book, women are first introduced as being loyal, faithful, and under complete servitude to men. This presentation of women demonstrates the view of women at that time. This is evident in the treatment and actions of Penelope and Calypso.
Spartan Women According to feminist Simon de Beauvoir author of The Second Sex “More than any other Greek women, Spartans have been subject of praise or blame from antiquity to present.” . The women of Sparta have a vital role within Sparta society as they were responsible for producing healthy babies as well as partaking in the running of the economy. They differ greatly from their Greek counterparts in that not only do they have an education which enables them to participate on Spartan society but they can own land and partake in sports and ceremonies. Unlike their other Greek counterparts Spartan women received a thorough education and harsh upbringing so they could play a greater role in Spartan society. Spartans were they only Greek society that prescribed a public education for girls.
The Votive Figures were created as a sign of their loyalty and devotion to god. The figures showed that their lives were devoted to worshipping a higher power, whereas Venus of Willendorf is made to represent women in their fertility period, showing their focus on human studies by signifying a healthy child bearing woman. Showing this type of art symbolizes the Paleolithic period’s fascination and fear of keeping the human species alive. In conclusion although Venus Of Willendorf and The Votive Figures From Tell Asmar proved to have many differences and similarities, each manage to convey something about their respective cultures and time periods. The appearance of the art pieces certainly related to that particular time, and made their sole interests exceptionally well
Creation of gender roles The founder of Western Civilisation, Greece, revered women even by worshiping female gods and creating Amazon legends, however the Greek world still viewed women as “inferior in political, social and legal realms” (Lindsey, L. L., 2005, p. 99). This continued throughout all the other historical periods, from Ancient Rome to the Middle Ages, from feudalism to the Renaissance, from industrialisation to the depression and following the World Wars, from the rise of women’s movements till to-date, the female gender has been slow in gaining ground in achieving their rights and importance in society. Industrialisation brought about numerous employment opportunities for women from various social strata, yet it was only after the Second World War that socially constructed roles started being challenged and more favourable circumstances were by default offered to women. (Lindsey, 2005) Gender roles in marriage and family It is evident that even in religious teachings women’s roles were always considered inferior to men. Even in the Bible’s first book, the book of Genesis it was Adam who was given the privilege of naming the animals as well as naming his female companion, Eve, created by God who is envisaged “by nature disobedient, guileless, weak-willed, prone to temptation
This paper will be discussing the origin of the Greek titan, Rhea. Rhea was the Titan daughter of the sky god Uranus and the earth goddess Gaia. She was the Titan mother of the gods, and a goddess of female fertility, motherhood, and generation. The ancient Greeks saw her as the mother of the Olympian gods and goddesses, but not as an Olympian goddess in her own right. Her name means "flow" and "ease."
Each community worshipped a local earth goddess and the mother earth where they came from and this goddess lived within the earth mother to both living and the dead and received prayers for fertility, good health and economy as payment for a good fortune (Rosenburg, 1984; Evans, 2008). And their society reflected the superiority of the women through “their society which reflected matriarchal principles, particularly the superiority of women, respect and appreciation for the beauty in life and an emphasis on graceful and peaceful living” as stated by Loverance, (1992). The religion they established focused on the earth as their primary deity which gave them life and hailed a priestess as their highest ranking authority in the community (Evans, 2008). Each community then was separated from one another but
Artemis may not be one of the most widely known goddesses but her role in how we view powerful women today. Artemis is not inherently Greek, as research indicates a female hunting figure dating back to the Paleolithic Period (Powell 224). She is greatly revered and sought after by many men within her myths (such as Orion, the river god Alpheus, and many unnamed men and gods) but none could win her heart. This shows us that Artemis was truly independent and did not need to follow the normalcy of having a companion/husband, much like Athena. Unlike Athena, however, Artemis is still viewed as having her femininity.
The Greek society was built upon the beliefs that good women faithfully serve and support their husband in all areas of their lives. In addition, a good woman never strays or deviates from their set roles. However, in stark opposition to women roles of that time are the strong female characters introduced by Homer. The women depicted in The Odyssey are very wise. This character trait in women is very different from the women portrayed most often in other Ancient Greek stories.
This was not what they wanted to find but valuable to the Mayan people. The Mayans originally inhabited the island of Cozumel. Many pilgrimages were made to Cozumel in order to visit the Goddess Ixchel. She was the goddess of fertility and abundance. Ixchel was married but still made it clear that she did her own thing and on nights that she did not want to be with her lover she would go out and help assist other women in their labor and childbirth.
Newman (1995:268) puts it that women have been conditioned by society into believing that “having children is a primary source of self-identity”. To date, motherhood is viewed as a woman’s basic mission and an inseparable part of her nature such that the link between a mother and a child is often taken for granted. Women are supposedly drawn into motherhood by their inner instincts, which also guarantee their children’s healthy growth and development. This natural ability is often credited for the close relationship mothers usually have with children and supposedly makes the woman the best possible nurturer. 3.