Meanwhile, pornai (from which we get the modern word ‘pornography’) would have spent their time working in a brothel and were expected to serve all levels of the city’s men, from the elite to members of the lower classes. They would have also served as a companion – perhaps more comparable to the role of a geisha in Japanese culture. A hetaira would have been able to read and write, and been employed to work for the higher classes in society. Of these, it’s known that there were two particular groups of workers, called hetairai and pornai.
However, a more common – and certainly real – profession for many women of the time was that of sex worker. Read more about childbirth through history, with our A-Z of midwifery and childbirth.While the existence of Agnodice is still debated by scholars, her legend has been used by women to support their role in medicine since the 17th century. According to some versions of the tale, the midwife would ‘reveal’ her true gender to patients in order to gain their trust, leading envious male doctors to accuse her of seducing pregnant women. According to legend, Agnodice – concerned at the high number of local women dying in childbirth – decided to disguise herself as a man and study medicine. There is also the story of a pioneering Athenian midwife named Agnodice. This, and other similar positions within Athens’ religious cults, would have afforded the officeholders a certain degree of public influence, and in some cases, payment and property. In fact, the most senior religious office of the state – high priestess of the Athena Polias – was a female role. Though life for Athenian women held many restrictions, religion provided a viable career path for those hailing from aristocratic backgrounds. Women in Sparta (and in Delphi, Gortyn, Thessaly and Megara) could also own land, and because of military campaigns that took men away for long periods of time, they often had control of their own homes. They rarely married before the age of 20, while motherhood gave them enhanced status raising future warriors was considered one of the most important roles in Spartan society. Athenian historian Thucydides, writing in the fifth century BC, famously asserted of women: “The greatest glory is to be least talked about among men, whether in praise or blame.” This meant that many wealthy Athenian women were supervised and chaperoned by male relatives when outside, and in some cases not allowed to leave the house at all.įor Spartan women, however, life was different from their Athenian counterparts. In ancient Greek society, the reputation of women was in all cases to be preserved. Marriage itself would usually take place when a kore (maiden) was between 13 and 15 years old only after the birth of her first child would she technically become a gyne (woman). The women’s quarters of a house, the gynaikon, were located on the upper floors, and wives were expected to bear and raise children and undertake domestic duties.
Men would serve the polis – state – while the domain of women was the oikos – the household. The lives of ancient Greek women were largely confined to the home. (Photo by Print Collector/Getty Images) Motherhood and the home In Homer’s Odyssey, Penelope demonstrates her loyalty to her husband when beset by suitors.