Women in Ancient Greece

1. How did women's roles in society differ from Athens and Sparta?
Women in Athens were thought of as liabilities, good only for keeping the house and the children clean and well fed, fetching water, doing menial chores around the house. They were never given a high part in society, especially not government. It was vastly different in Sparta. Here, women were taught how to read and write, and were expected to be able to fend for themselves. , Academically, they were treated much the same as the men were. This is only a fraction of the differences between Athenian and Spartan women, but still , you can see the differences in the way the were seen and treated.

2. If the Greeks are considered so advanced, so culturally elite, why do you believe gender equality (equality between men and women) was not established?
I believe gender equality was not established, because there was really no idea of it even being possible. No one had ever imagined the possibility of a woman having the same rights as a man. And even if it had been thought of, i honestly don't think the men could have stood the competition. They probably thought it an insult to even consider a woman as strong and powerful as a man. The mere thought of a woman in government sent chills up their spines. Imagine, this person who was supposed to be at home making dinner, running their empire?!? Impossible! I believe, if they had out higher stock in the women, they could have easily come up with some sort of gender equality. But they would have never allowed themselves to do such a thing.

3. Based on your understanding of women in Ancient Greek society, how do you think women were depicted by artists at this time?
I would think that women were portrayed much less commonly than men, and that when they were, it was either doing some mindless work, or as a goddess. I think this was pretty much the only excuse they had for adding women into art. I doubt that female nudity was insanely common. Once again, i must say that it was usually the goddesses that were portrayed in artwork.