The Relationship of Women and Men in Ancient Greece

In ancient Greece, women had no political rights and were restricted from equal rights.
Their role consisted of staying inside the home, rearing children and managing the household responsibilities. Literature was mostly dominated by men, and the portrayal of women also reflected a male point of view. Men regarded women who spoke up and shared ideas as a threat to society, a society that was based on only one reality, a male dominated one.

In the Odyssey, Homer portrays Penelope, the wife of king Odysseus and mother of Telemachus, as a noble woman. Penelope is appreciated for being loyal and faithful, intelligent and cunning. She is referred to as “wise Penelope” regularly throughout the Odyssey by the narrator. The most evident example of Penelope’s cunning was when she delayed in remarrying any of the suitors and pretended to be busy with weaving a burial shroud for Odysseus’ father. Penelope’s characteristics make her a more realistically portrayed woman of her time.

Women standing up for themselves to men were seen as women with bad characters. Penelope’s only protection was her husband “-there is no man here to protect this house like Odysseus, - he and his son would make them pay for this outrage.” (585-88) Men had the upper hand on women. For example, the suitors who “partied” in Penelope’s house because no man was present, demonstrate that the men were allowed to do whatever pleased them to do. Women were oppressed because of their nature, and objectified. They were given in marriage by their fathers or other male relatives at a very young age and taught to be domesticated. For their entire lives. Consequently, women were controlled and protected by male figures, whether by fathers, husbands or other male relatives. They weren’t allowed to inherit and were excluded from the social life of the polis.

These aspects diminished their role in society and reinforced the stereotype of women being only good for raising children and staying indoors. They were appreciated for their good manners and beauty, which reinforced the image of the submissive woman.

Aristophanes’ comedy Lysistrata challenges this stereotype of women, in comparing the two characters, Penelope and Lysistrata, we see that Lysistrata is less appreciated by men. In the play Lysistrata, the character is an optimistic young woman who speaks out against the men for failing to bring peace to the city and carry on by calling upon all women from both cities to join her in her effort to stop the war. Lysistrata’s character portrayal gives us an insight into the relationship between women and men during that time.

In the play Lysistrata, women use their sexuality to claim their power over men and motivate them to end the war. This play involves rebellious women taking a stand with Lysistrata to end the war; it was written as a comedy to entertain a male audience and performed by male actors. Speaking up and coming up with ideas to end the war were perhaps seen as impossible, and that is why it was laughed at. Men’s portrayal of women was negative. When the woman was not submissive she was a monster, or a witch such as Medea, taking revenge on her husband by killing the woman he loved. Moreover, these stereotypes continued to make others fearful of such a woman. This is also a stereotype that has survived our modern world today. In the play, Calonice argues female intelligence with Lysistrata in their first meeting with the goal of stopping the war. “What thoughtful thing could women even do? What vivid venture? We just sit decked out in saffron gowns, make up about this thick Cimberian lingerie and platform shoes.” (42-45) To which Lysistrata responds, “It’s those that I intend to save our race: those dresses, and perfumes, and rouge, and shoes.” (46-48) Here the playwright reinforces the idea of beauty and looks that will save a nation rather than intelligence.

Women were belittled by men and treated as second-class citizens; in Lysistrata’s statement, the character uses the words “race” referring to women as different from men. In the play, the only arena in which women seem to have equal power with men is sexual intercourse, which is why their plan is to stop the war using “total abstinence from sex.” In the play the “old men chorus” describes the fear of the women’s movement and calls it a “catastrophe” and a “matriarchy.” These claims bring to our attention the irony of patriarchy and the notion of men being fearful that the system may switch from one in which the male dominates to a female dominant world.

Both characters Penelope and Lysistrata had voices given to them by a male author and are subject to the norms of that era. Aristophanes ridicules women. The idea of women ending the war is something that is unbelievable, and that is why it is written as a comedy which presents a negative approach into the thoughts of men toward the intelligence of women in ancient Greece.

" She stood in the storm, and when the wind did not blow her away, she adjusted her sails." - Elisabeth Edwards

Andrea Realpe. Blue Birds Wings. 2018
Aristophanes. Lysistrata. The Norton Anthology: Western Literature. Ed. Peter, Simon. New York: W.W Norton & Company, Inc 2014. (42-48)
Homer. The Iliad Book I-XXIV. The Norton Anthology: Western Literature. Ed. Peter, Simon.
New York: W.W Norton & Company, Inc 2014.(585-88)
Joseph, Wright of Derby. Academy by Lamplight. Google Art Project
(1734-1797)
Wood Engraving Greek Women. Getty Images 2018