Family Life In Ancient Greece

The family, Cynthia Patterson demonstrates, played a key role in the political changes that mark the history of ancient Greece. From the archaic society portrayed in Homer and Hesiod to the Hellenistic age, the private world of the family and household was integral with and essential to the civic realm. Early Greek society was rooted not in clans but in individual households, and a man's or woman's place in the larger community was determined by relationships within those households. The development of the city-state did not result in loss of the family's power and authority, Patterson argues; rather, the protection of household relationships was an important element of early public law. The interaction of civic and family concerns in classical Athens is neatly articulated by the examples of marriage and adultery laws. In law courts and in theater performances, violation of marital relationships was presented as a public danger, the adulterer as a sexual thief. This is an understanding that fits the Athenian concept of the city as the highest form of family. The suppression of the cities with the ascendancy of Alexander's empire led to a new resolution of the relationship between public and private authority: the concept of a community of households, which is clearly exemplified in Menander's plays. Undercutting common interpretations of Greek experience as evolving from clan to patriarchal state, Patterson's insightful analysis sheds new light on the role of men and women in Greek culture.

The FAMILY LIFE series uses a variety of historical sources to show what family, social and domestic life was like during this period of history. The Classical period in ancient Greece was a golden age. It was a time of prosperity. Greek learning and culture were all a part of everyday life. Ancient Greece was the home of philosophy, democracy and the Olympic Games. The ancient Greeks developed a whole civilisation which has helped to shape modern day Europe.

This volume will give students a look at what daily life was like for the ancient Greeks. Students will learn about marriage, entertainment, and education, as well as what the role of women was in ancient Greece. They will also learn about the Greek house and diet, and what it was like to be a child in Greece.

Daily life in ancient Greece was very different from our own, but with some startling similarities. Readers will learn how the ancient Greeks filled a typical day. They will read about professional life and home life, including the roles of women and children. And they will recognize studying, exercising, and spending time with family as aspects common to their own lives.

"The Home Life of the Ancient Greeks'' by Hugo Blümnern, though printed in the early 20th century, is still considered a remarkably accurate depiction of ancient Greek society. Through studying ancient ruins and digs, Blümnern was able to piece together the home life the average Greek citizen would have. This is a large departure from theories that focused primarily on the wealthy or on the religious sects of the ancient society.

Describes everyday life among the ancient Greeks, covering family life, marriage, leisure, education, clothing, food and drink, warfare, religion, and funerals.

This account of the Greek family takes account of a mass of literary, inscriptional, archaeological, anthropological, and art-historical evidence, some of which has only been made recently available, to provide a source of reference for this key aspect of Greek social history.

Looks at family life in ancient Greek times. Ages 8+ years.

The first people to develop an alphabet with vowels were those of Ancient Greece. They were also the first to have an Olympic competition over 3000 years ago. Readers will get a unique perspective into life in Ancient Greece in this illustrated, graphic novel-style volume. The book takes a peek at the life of a magistrate and his family, while providing details about what life was like in this ancient culture.

Examines women whose influence was positive, as well as those whose reputations were more notoriousSupremely well researched from many different historical sourcesSuperbly illustrated with photographs and drawings Women in Ancient Greece is a much-needed analysis of how women behaved in Greek society, how they were regarded, and the restrictions imposed on their actions. Given that ancient Greece was very much a man’s world, most books on ancient Greek society tend to focus on men; this book redresses the imbalance by shining the spotlight on that neglected other half. Women had significant roles to play in Greek society and culture – this book illuminates those roles. Women in Ancient Greece asks the controversial question: how far is the assumption that women were secluded and excluded just an illusion? It answers it by exploring the treatment of women in Greek myth and epic; their treatment by playwrights, poets and philosophers; and the actions of liberated women in Minoan Crete, Sparta and the Hellenistic era when some elite women were politically prominent. It covers women in Athens, Sparta and in other city states; describes women writers, philosophers, artists and scientists; it explores love, marriage and adultery, the virtuous and the meretricious; and the roles women played in death and religion. Crucially, the book is people-based, drawing much of its evidence and many of its conclusions from lives lived by historical Greek women.