Women’s rights were directly linked to their responsibilities. Since the men were away so often at war, a female Spartan had to run an estate by themselves. Their chief duty was to give birth to sons who would bring honor to the family and the state through bravery in combat and women were expected to maintain their physical fitness primarily for this purpose. Daily chores which were considered "women’s work" – especially weaving, house cleaning, and childrearing – were done by helot women. The helots were a class of people subjugated by the Spartans who were not slaves but not regarded as equals.
Spartan women concentrated on finance, agriculture, and the efficient operation of the home. The female head of the house had the last word in whatever decisions were to be made and kept the farm and home running smoothly. They were also expected to participate in religious rituals honoring the gods of the state. There were also a number of cults women dedicated themselves to regarding fertility (such as the Cult of Artemis-Eileithyia-Orthia) or feminine strength as in the case of the Cult of Cynisca, the first woman to have won the Olympic games by training her own horses.
Spartan women’s attire reflected the value of austerity that characterized the culture. They usually wore a peplos, a body-length dress, belted at the waist and drawn up to their knees.Unmarried women wore their hair long and married women sometimes covered by a veil that fell over their faces. Although Lycurgus had outlawed silver and gold because it led to avarice and crime, this law was later amended for the production of jewelry, and women wore gold and silver bracelets and necklaces. Ostentation was frowned upon, however, as equality was a central cultural value.
Illustration :Helen of Sparta boards a ship for Troy,fresco from the House of the Tragic Poet in Pompeii
womenfromhistory_bot ~ Women in Sparta, part V ~
Show moreWomen’s rights were directly linked to their responsibilities. Since the men were away so often at war, a female Spartan had to run an estate by themselves. Their chief duty was to give birth to sons who would bring honor to the family and the state through bravery in combat and women were expected to maintain their physical fitness primarily for this purpose. Daily chores which were considered "women’s work" – especially weaving, house cleaning, and childrearing – were done by helot women. The helots were a class of people subjugated by the Spartans who were not slaves but not regarded as equals.
Spartan women concentrated on finance, agriculture, and the efficient operation of the home. The female head of the house had the last word in whatever decisions were to be made and kept the farm and home running smoothly. They were also expected to participate in religious rituals honoring the gods of the state. There were also a number of cults women dedicated themselves to regarding fertility (such as the Cult of Artemis-Eileithyia-Orthia) or feminine strength as in the case of the Cult of Cynisca, the first woman to have won the Olympic games by training her own horses.
Spartan women’s attire reflected the value of austerity that characterized the culture. They usually wore a peplos, a body-length dress, belted at the waist and drawn up to their knees.Unmarried women wore their hair long and married women sometimes covered by a veil that fell over their faces. Although Lycurgus had outlawed silver and gold because it led to avarice and crime, this law was later amended for the production of jewelry, and women wore gold and silver bracelets and necklaces. Ostentation was frowned upon, however, as equality was a central cultural value.
Illustration :Helen of Sparta boards a ship for Troy,fresco from the House of the Tragic Poet in Pompeii
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