Felipe Arraño’s Reviews > Athens: A History, From Ancient Ideal to Modern City > Status Update

Agora: the place where people gather; was the center of activities for every Athenian man slightly concerned with city’s public affairs (p. 160). Marriage was supposed to fulfill a woman’s nature in the same way that war and politics fulfilled a man’s nature (p. 162). Women had the civic duty to produce the next generation of Athenian citizens (men), and thus baby smuggling existed (p. 162). Women married at about 14 years of age while men at about 30 (p. 163). When referring to a woman in public, usually she was referred as “so-and-so’s wife” or “daughter” (p. 163). As a married woman was seen as a belonging of a man, it was more severe (under Athenian laws) seducing the woman than raping her (p. 163). Men often allowed women authority within the home (p. 164). Women were important in religion in general as they were priestesses of female deities, oracular mouthpieces for Apollo and Zeus; and also when preparing burials (p. 167). Overall, women were considered, even by Aristotle, of less rational capacity than men (p. 168). Over half the citizen population of Athens owned one or two slaves who provided both skilled and unskilled labor (p. 169). There were also public slaves used for building work, assistants to committees, keepers of state archives (educated slaves), etc (p. 169). Slaves could became freed (metics), if they risked they lives in battle for the city or freed by owners; they could also earn money (p. 172).