The Hellenistic Homemaker Essay -- Marriage Athenian Women Papers

The Hellenistical HomemakerIn both Xenophons Oeconomicus and Lysias defense of Euphiletus murder of Eratosthenes, shrewdness into the purpose and function of Athenian marriage may be gained by examination of the speeches of two citizens about their wives and their homes. Through both texts, it becomes app bent that the citizens value of his wife is based upon his wifes ability as an oikonomikos or skilled household four-in-hand (Strauss, 3). It is through filling this fibre as her husbands housekeeper that an Athenian woman stimulated a loss of personal freedom and found herself trapped within a marriage in which she had little contact or much in common with her husband. A womans role as oikonomikos is draw by Euphiletus address of an Athenian citizen-jury and by Socrates discourse with Ischomachos, through which he strives to understand the best way by which a household may be managed. An Athenian marriage was formed to unite a household, or oikos, with an overseer to manage it. This housekeeper was responsible for maintaining the wealth of the oikos, serving as manager over the servants of the oikos, and, by providing heirs, assuring that the oikos would continue to exist and grow in the future. Socrates believed that while the possessions usually come into the house through the mans actions, they are expended for the most part in the course of the womans housekeeping and when these things turn out well, the households increase (Xenophon, III.11). A good oikonomikos was natural for the proper function of the home. Marriage existed as a business compact between a husband and his in-laws, who negotiated it, and between a husband and his wife, who hold it. The marriage was first arranged bet... ...en is well described through the requirements of cosmos a good housekeeper- they must be young, uneducated, fertile, submissive, and remain in the home. In straddle to fill these roles well, Xenophon, in his Oeconomicos, and Lysias, through his defen se of Euphiletus, show that women must necessarily experience a loss of freedom in order to maintain the virtues of an oikonomikos, and that also as a result of filling this house-manager role, they are so far removed from their husbands mentally and in daily experience because of age and custom, that romantic love would be inhibited. Works CitedFreeman, Kathleen. The Murder of Herodes and former(a) Trials from the Athenian Law Courts. Indianapolis Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. 1991. Strauss, Leo. Xenophons Socratic handle An Interpretation of the Oeconomicus. Ithaca Cornell University Press.