What was the role and functions of women in Ancient Greece

Since prehistoric times the situation of women in society has been, as we know, varied and diversified according to cultures, times and geographical places. This time we traveled to Ancient Greece to analyze and discover what was the role and functions of women in this period of history What was the role and functions of women in Ancient Greece According to some theories, primitive societies were matriarchal, although that has not prevented the imposition of male supremacy over the centuries.In the case of Ancient Greece, we can say that despite the fact that women were legally free, they did not enjoy political rights. The woman’s life was centered on the «òikos», that is, the home and the family, although she was assigned only one part of the house, the gynoecium, where the woman performed the domestic functions that society established for her: spinning , weave, organize slave labor and raise their children. The outings in public were very rare, since the women only went out in case of religious festivities and always in the company of a maid. In addition, the participation of women in the banquets was prohibited, as it could not be otherwise, the main function, and certainly the most important of the women of Ancient Greece, was the procreation that guaranteed the continuity of the family and the community of citizens. The public personality of the woman was mediated by the male figure, since the head of the family was the «kyriòs», that is, the lord, who exercised his authority not only over things, but also over people, including slaves, wife and sons.The woman’s inheritance, known as a dowry, which she received when she married, was her property, but it was administered by her husband. In addition, the woman could not inherit the property of her father and, in the absence of male children, her husband inherited them.Weddings of Convenience in Ancient Greece In Greek society, marriage was not an individual choice, dictated by love, by attraction to the loved one, as occurs in modern times; In ancient Greece, weddings were celebrated for economic, political and prestigious purposes, and the men of the house decided them, choosing the bride and establishing the patrimony to contribute with her father, stipulating the marriage in private, in presence of two witnesses. The woman, as an asset, passed from the father’s hands to the husband’s. Divorce could only be requested by the men, who could take the bride to the paternal òikos whenever they wanted, for any reason, but returning the goods. The man could commit adultery without paying any penalty, unlike women who, on the other hand, if they committed adultery, were punished with very severe penalties.As we can see, until a few decades ago, civilizations were based on the subordination of the figure female to male, without exception. Even Greek society, centered on the polis or Greek cities, was organized by men, who had a predominant role, in fact the gender differences between male and female figures were very marked both on a legal and ethical level.