Sunday, August 18, 2019
Essay --
Research Paper: Role of Women in Greek Mythology In my readings I have discovered that women in ancient Greece played a big role in society. Unlike many other societies, women were able to play an important role in things like religion and politics and were viewed as valued members of society. This is something thatââ¬â¢s very uncommon in early Western civilization, as women were mainly oppressed throughout most of our history. As I continued my research on the role of women in Ancient Greek civilization, I found that many of their predominant mythological figures are also strong women. Women played a big role in Greek religion and they were worshiped no less than male figures. Many of the Greek goddesses are depicted as strong, powerful and yet still feminine figures. A few examples of their strength and intelligence are depicted in the stories of Hera, Athena, and more. Each of these female goddesses are considered key parts of Greek mythology and have clearly made an impact on how Greeks view women in their society. I believe that it is particularly because of how important the goddesses were to Greek mythology that women were able to be such key parts of Greek society as a whole. According to Goddesses, Whores, Wives and Slaves: Women in Classical Antiquity by Sarah B. Pomeroy girls in ancient Greece were taught to be physically strong. They took part in many physical activities like sports along with boys. Pomeroy also states that women played a big role in religious festivals (Pomeroy). ââ¬Å"Spartan women were put through physical trainingâ⬠¦ They could own their own land (as much as 40% of Spartan land in the fourth century BC was owned by women). Sayings of Spartan women were collected and became the essence of the Sp... ... fully naked statue of the goddess Aphrodite was created at the very beginning of the Hellenistic age- and, increasingly, rulers in their won rightâ⬠(Scott). The Greek goddesses and their portrayal in Greek mythology set a standard in which Greek women followed, to do their best to be equals to men and now allow themselves to feel oppressed. In conclusion, religion played a very prominent role in the empowerment of women in Ancient Greece. Thanks to the beautiful portrayal of women in Greek mythology, the women of Greece were respected and had the ability to affect change in their society. The stories of Hera, Athena Odysseus, and Circe have all helped shape the structure of women in Greek society. Each of story showing a different face of women, all of them playing just as important parts in Greek worship and daily Greek life as their male counterparts.
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