Womens Role in Sparta

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Women 's role in Sparta

The women of ancient Sparta were an enlightened lot . These women were allowed to learn reading and writing . They were also given the freedom to learn to protect themselves whenever necessary . In comparison to other women of the times , like for example , the women of Athens , the women of Sparta were much better off while the women of Athens were expected to learn and to know how to weave , spin , and generally be aware of

all the domestic arts , the women of Sparta were expected to stand at par with the men of the state . If women learnt weaving and spinning these women were `helots ' or `perioeci , women who had been a part of the conquered Pelopponese . Spartan women leant , among other things athletic sports like javelin throw , discus , foot racing , and were expected to play important roles in battles with the men . In fact , these women would even run naked amongst the men , and they were accorded due respect for their feats and accomplishments in the athletic fields Spartan women were also expected to be extremely loyal to their state and to be able to and prepared to produce excellently healthy children Their Athenian counterparts were not taught any of these things , and as one Athenian , Menander , put it , Teaching a woman to read and write What a terrible thing to do ! Like feeding a vile snake on more poison ( The Women of Sparta ' n .d

It is often said that it was because of the fact that Sparta was a state that laid primary focus and gave importance to military strength that the women of Sparta were given training in all the things that men would train in . the men of Sparta in fact focused all their energies into the perpetuation of their state , and women too , right from when they were young girls , expected to share the same ideals . Spartan women were given a stake equal to that of men in the success or the failure of their state , and this became especially important because most of the time , the Spartan men would be away fighting some war or the other , and women were expected to take on the running of the state and its affairs in the men 's ' absence . In short , historians often state that Spartan women played their given roles by bearing strong healthy children who would also serve the state when the time came , and by acquiring a good enough education so that they would be able to manage efficiently their affairs and affairs of the state whenever their husbands were absent (Thibault , Pietsch , Lisa 2005

One must remember that through the times , gender roles have been similar , and as a matter of fact , even today women are relegated to the second best role in several societies across the world . In ancient Greek society too , women were largely restricted to the domestic sphere of life , while men would form a...