Comprehension Check: Lesson 19, Sections 5 & 9 - Women and Enslaved People

Women and Enslaved People in Athens (Part 1)

Only men were considered citizens in Athens. Citizenship was not possible for women and people who were enslaved, so they had far fewer rights than free men did.

Women: Athenian women could not inherit or own much property. They could not vote or attend the Assembly.

A few women held jobs, and some sold goods in the market. A few very important women were priestesses. However, most Athenian women had their greatest influence in the home. They spent their days managing the household and raising their children—the two roles that their society believed women should have. An Athenian wife had separate rooms at home to complete her responsibilities, which included spinning, weaving, and supervising people who were enslaved. She never went out alone. An Athenian mother taught her sons until they were about 6 or 7 and ready for school. She educated her daughters until they were 15 and ready to be married.

Women and Enslaved People in Athens (Part 2)

Enslaved People Many people were enslaved in ancient Athens. Most Athenians who weren't poor enslaved at least one person. Some people were born into slavery, while others were forced into it as captives of war. This was true in many societies in the ancient world.

People enslaved in Athens performed a wide variety of jobs, including tasks that required a great deal of skill. Some ran households and taught Athenian children. A number of enslaved Athenians were trained as artisans. Others worked on farms, in factories, or for the city as clerks.

Some people were enslaved to work in the silver mines, where they might work ten hours a day, in cramped tunnels 300 feet below the surface. They had little air to breathe and were often harshly punished if they stopped to rest. Without machinery to make work easier, people in ancient times resorted to enslaved labor for the worst jobs.

Women and Enslaved People in Sparta (Part 1)

In Sparta, women had more rights than other Greek women. Although Spartans who were enslaved had little freedom, they had some rights that Athenians who were enslaved did not.

Women: Spartan women lived the same simple life as Spartan men. They wore plain clothing with little decoration and did not wear jewelry or use cosmetics or perfume. Like Spartan men, women were expected to remain strong and healthy—and ready to fight when needed. A wife was expected to protect her husband's property in times of war. She also had to guard it against invaders and revolts by people who were enslaved.

Spartan women were free to speak with their husbands' friends or express political opinions. Other Greeks even said they ruled over their men. Women could also own and control their own property. They could even marry again, should their first husband be away at war for too long a time.

Women and Enslaved People in Sparta (Part 2)

Enslaved People: Spartans who were enslaved, the helots, were people the Spartans had conquered. There were many more helots than citizens in Sparta. The Spartans treated the helots harshly, fearful that the helots would revolt.

Occasionally, the Spartan government declared war on the helots so that any people it thought might rebel could be legally killed. In fact, the Spartan government once asked the helots to choose their best fighters, saying that these people would be set free as thanks for fighting for Sparta. The helots selected 2,000 men. Immediately, the Spartans killed every one of them to eliminate the possibility of any future helot leaders.

Despite this harsh treatment, helots did retain some rights. They could marry whomever and whenever they wanted. They could pass their names on to their children. They could sell any leftover crops after giving their owner his share. Helots who saved enough money could even purchase their freedom.