Friday 14th September 2012

The final copy of our special study essays are due today. After completing all of the changes suggested on my draft, I handed up my final essay yesterday. I ended up with a large amount of words over the maximum of 2000, which then had to be condensed. My final word count was 1998. I checked and double checked my referencing before handing in my final copy, so all referencing is sound. There was a slight issue in that I have imbedded quotes from primary sources in my essay, but they were found in texts, and so there was no evidence of my use of primary sources in the bibliography. However, as there is evidence of primary sources in my essay this should be adequate.

I am happy with my final essay, and believe that it meets all of the requirements outlined in the assessment criteria. I was able to hand up my final copy before the deadline, and was pleased that I had effectively used my time management skills to be prepared to submit my final essay before the deadline.

I have very much enjoyed studying the topics analysed within my special study, in particular the siginificant comparison evident between the lives of Spartan and Athenian women. I believe that it has provided me with a greater understanding of the lives of women in classical history, and has overall been a successful investigation.

Copy of My Special Study Draft

Special Study: Draft 1

To what extent did women in Sparta enjoy a fuller involvement in the life of their polis as compared to the women of Athens around 450 BC?

“At a time when Greek women were expected to be invisible, [Spartan women] had power and responsibility in their own right. In fact, they were so cocksure that they dared to take on men: in politics, on the streets and even in the most sacred bastion – the sporting arena”[1].

These words perfectly describe the levels of involvement of Spartan and Athenian women in their polis around 450 BC. The women of Sparta enjoyed a significantly fuller involvement in the life of their polis as compared to women of Athens, who were expected to remain unseen. The distinct variation between the rights of women in each polis was particularly evident through the political environment, where Spartan women were accepted in the political environment, and were specifically trained in public speaking, unlike their Athenian counterparts, who were not considered to be full citizens of their state. The extreme differentiation between the women of Sparta and Athens was also apparent through economic life, where respected women of Sparta were conscientiously involved in trade, and were responsible for the household economy, whilst Athenian women were not legally eligible to possess anything of a higher value than household items. There was an obvious contrast between the rights of Spartan women in their polis as compared to the women of Athens, which was evident through several aspects of their lives, none more so than marriage, childrearing and in the oikos household. Where Spartan women were married to a man of their own choice, with the blessing of their kyrios, who was a similar age, the grooms of Athenian women were chosen by their kyrios. Spartan women were treated well as their society depended on the birth of healthy, strong sons, however Athenian women were expected to be invisible, and their existence was virtually confined to their segregated quarters. Education and physical activities were also areas in which the involvement of Spartan women could be compared to that of Athenian women. Thus, Spartan women enjoyed a much fuller involvement all aspects of life in their polis, as compared to Athenian women who were generally expected to remain unseen.

The involvement of women in Spartan politics differed significantly from that of Athenian women in their polis. Spartan women conquered their living environment in a number of areas where an Athenian woman failed to do so, in particular the political environment of their state. Spartan women had a great deal more power in the political field, as they needed to voice their own opinions whilst their husbands were absent from the household. Women had a considerable impact on politics in Sparta, as, “[they] were trained to speak in public… [and] made sure that their opinions were heard”[2], and “no other Greek women are reported to have been involved in elections to the extent that Spartans were”[3]. Women had an involvement equal to men throughout political Sparta, as they were in charge of the polis when the men went to war, providing them with a sense of equality in that, “as Aristotle remarked in his discussion of Sparta, in warlike societies men are dominated by their wives”[4]. Conversely, definite sexual discrimination was evident throughout the political atmosphere of Athens, as, “[women] could not attend or vote at meetings of the Assembly, sit on juries, or serve as Council members, magistrates, or generals”[5]. In the Athenian polis, “women were not considered to be politai – a word which…specifically signifies citizens with full political rights, who were always male”[6]. Men dominated the political field, and the opinions of women were not taken into account when decisions were made, similar to values present throughout Athens as a whole. Throughout Athenian society, “men in the democratic state were defined by their active involvement in political life, and women were defined by their exclusion from that sphere”[7]. A distinct variation is henceforth evident between the two poli, as, “Spartan women were encouraged and trained to speak in public”[8], whereas in Athens, “respectable women were encouraged not to speak”[9]. Hence, the women of Sparta enjoyed a significantly larger involvement in the political environment of their polis than Athenian women.

The economy was another vital component of the lives of both Spartans and Athenians where there was a definite comparison evident between the involvement of women in their polis. The women of Sparta were treated with far more equality than those of Athens throughout economic life and trading, as it was stated, “[Spartan] women had the right to possess, control, and inherit property”[10], as, “a woman’s work was recognised as producing wealth”[11]. Women were in control of the economy of the household, as their fathers and husbands were predominantly absent. The rights of women in Athens regarding economic matters significantly distinguished themselves from the rights of Spartan women, as, “in law, an Athenian woman had no independent existence. She was always assumed to be incorporated into the oikos, which was headed by her kyrios, or male guardian”[12]. Athenian women were considered as the property of their husbands or fathers, and, “could not by law enter into any contract ‘beyond the value of one medimnos of barley’”[13].  However, Spartan women participated in everyday trade and dealt with the economy of their household. Contrastingly, Athenian women were not legally permitted to have an involvement in the economic life of their polis, and rather were considered as an item of property by the men of their society. The involvement of women in Sparta was therefore much more equal to those of men when compared with the participation of Athenian women in their own state.

The lives of women in Sparta differed to those of women in Athens in several aspects, none more prominent than in the family situation, where every aspect of their family life was contrasting. When, “the Athenian was not quite fifteen: she married a stranger nearly twice her age, moved to a new house, and rarely saw her friends and relatives again. The Spartan, in contrast married a young man close in age”[14]. Throughout their marriage, Spartan, “women were well fed and well treated, because happy, healthy women were more likely to produce healthy babies”[15], as, “bearing children was the most important function of Spartan women, since the state was constantly at war”[16]. In Sparta, it was not uncommon for women to remain unmarried, whereas, “heroic Greek society demanded that all matured women be married, and destined all young women for that end”[17]. Within the household, Spartan women were considered the ‘queen bees’, as, “housework and fabrication of clothing were left to women of inferior classes, while citizen women were occupied with gymnastics, music, household management, and childrearing”[18], whereas in an Athenian household, “women continued to perform the household tasks described in the Homeric epics”[19]. As mothers, Spartan women adopted a strict policy, as the success of a son on the battlefield was a tribute to his upbringing, and so, “instead of lamenting at the death of their sons, [mothers] took pride in the bravery that had led to that fate”[20]. This unique approach to childrearing was evident as Plutarch stated, “Argileonis, mother of Brasidas, when her son had died, and some of the citizens of Amphipolis came to Sparta to visit her, asked them whether her son had died finely and as befitted a Spartan. When they praised him to the skies and told her that he was the best of all the Spartans in such deeds of valour, she replied: ‘My friends it is true that my child was a fine and good man, but Sparta has many men better than he’”[21]. It is apparent that the role of women in the family life of Sparta differed significantly from the women of Athens, accentuating the difference between the involvement of women in each polis.

In several other aspects of society, the involvement of Spartan women differentiated significantly from the participation of Athenian women in matters of their state, specifically in education and physical activity. The variation between Spartan and Athenian women was apparent in a number of areas of everyday life, in particular through education, where Sparta was unique in their opinion on the education of girls, as it was, “the only polis where the training of girls was prescribed and supported by public authority”[22], although, “from Plutarch we hear that the education of girls was aimed at producing healthy bodies, so that ‘the fruit they conceive might take firmer root and find better growth and that they, with this greater vigour, might be more able to undergo the pains of childbearing’”[23]. In Athens an entirely different opinion was evident, as, “the Athenians believed that women were handicapped by intellect”[24], and their education was confined to the household. It is apparent from the majority of sources that, “Spartan girls too…did undergo some form of public educational instruction”[25], whereas there is very little evidence to support education of Athenian girls in any form outside of their household. Physical activity was yet another area in which the involvement of Spartan women was superior to that of Athenian women.  Evidence of the physical activities of Sparta is evident throughout history, and, “there is more evidence for the athletic activities of Spartan women alone than for the athletics of all the women in the rest of the Greek world combined”[26]. Xenophon stated that, “Lycurgus instituted physical training for women no less than for men, including competitions in racing and trials of strength”[27], and, “Plutarch gives a more explicit account of the physical curriculum, mentioning running, wrestling, discus throwing, and hurling the javelin”[28]. Contrastingly, “there is no evidence to suggest that Athenian girls were given any kind of systematic athletics training in the gymnasium, as boys were”[29]. Hence, in everyday activities, such as education and physical activities, Spartan women enjoyed an involvement equal to that of men, whilst Athenian women remained inferior.

The level of involvement of a Spartan woman in her polis and that of an Athenian woman in her respective polis was great.  Throughout all areas of their lives, Spartan women were provided with equality, whereas Athenian women were considered merely as property. The diversity of the rights of Spartan women as compared to other Greek poli was particularly evident in politics, as women of Sparta were allowed to speak and had rights equal to those of men, and had a large impact on major decisions of the welfare of the polis, as the state was constantly at war. Alternatively, Athenian women had no political rights, and were not considered to be politai, and thus a differentiation is evident between the two states. A distinct variation was evident between Spartan and Athenian women in the economic life of each polis. The contrast between the rights of these women was plain; Spartan women were involved in trade and supervised the economy of the household, but Athenian women had no independent existence outside of their family oikos. Although there was variation in several aspects of the lives of Spartan women as compared to Athenian women, none was more distinct than their involvement and treatment through marriage, childrearing, and the household. Spartan women were fed well, as it was hypothesised that a healthy mother would produce strong, healthy sons – a vital component of Spartan society, while Athenian wives were much more subdued, and were generally confined to their segregated quarters. It is evident that in all factors of the lives of Spartan women, their involvement in the happenings of their polis is much greater than that of Athenian women, including in their lifestyle and activities, such as education and physical activity. Thus, Spartan women experienced a much fuller involvement in all aspects of their polis than their fellow Athenian women.

Bibliography:

Blundell, S., Women in Ancient Greece. British Museum Press, London. 1995.

Bradley, P., Ancient Greece. Using Evidence: Sparta. Edward Arnold, Melbourne. 1988.

Brulé, P., (transl. Nevill, A.), Women of Ancient Greece. Edinburgh University Press, Paris. 2003.

Cartledge, P., The SPARTANS. The World of the Warrior – Heroes of Ancient Greece. The Overlook Press, New York. 2003.

Forrest, W.G., A History of Sparta 959-192 B.C. Hutchinson University Library, London. 1971.

Lucas, D. W., The Greek Tragic Poets. Cohen and West, London. 1959.

Pomeroy, S. B., Goddesses, Whores, Wives, and Slaves. Random House, London. 1975.

Pomeroy, S. B., Spartan Women. Oxford University Press, New York. 2002.

The Spartans: The Battle for Supremacy. Public Broadcasting Service/Paramount.  Washington D.C. 2004.

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[1] The Spartans: The Battle for Supremacy, Public Broadcasting Service/Paramount, Washington D. C, 2004, P. 6.

[2] ibid. P. 7.

[3] S. B. Pomeroy, Spartan Women, Oxford University Press, New York, 2002, P. 92.

[4] ibid.

[5] S. Blundell, Women in Ancient Greece, British Museum Press, London, 1995, P. 128.

[6] ibid.

[7] ibid. P. 129.

[8] S. B Pomeroy, op. cit. P. 9.

[9] ibid.

[10] S. B. Pomeroy, Goddesses, Whores, Wives, and Slaves, Random House, London, 1975, P. 39.

[11] ibid.  P. 40.

[12] S. Blundell, op. cit. P. 114.

[13] ibid.

[14] S. B Pomeroy, Spartan Women, op. cit. P. 44.

[15] The Spartans: The Battle for Supremacy. op. cit. P. 6.

[16] S. B. Pomeroy, Goddesses, Whores, Wives, and Slaves, op. cit. P. 36.

[17] ibid. P. 18.

[18] ibid. P. 36.

[19] ibid. P. 43.

[20] S. B. Pomeroy, Spartan Women, op. cit. P. 57.

[21] P. Cartledge, The SPARTANS. The World of the Warrior – Heroes of Ancient Greece, The Overlook Press, New York, 2003, P. 179.

[22] P. Bradley, Ancient Greece. Using Evidence: Sparta, Edward Arnold, Melbourne, 1988, P.

[23] P. Bradley, op. cit. P. 65.

[24] Athenians

[25] P. Cartledge, op. cit. P. 167.

[26] S. B. Pomeroy, Spartan Women, op. cit. P. 12.

[27] ibid. P. 13.

[28] ibid.

[29] S. Blundell, op. cit. P. 133.

Tuesday 4th September 2012

The outcome from my intial draft was good. The comments I received back were positive, but I need to add more of the 'why', explaining or hypothesising as to why the two poli had such differing values and why each implented the values that they did for a maximum mark.

Over the last week I have been in the process of incorporating my own thoughts with supporting evidence into my essay to try and achieve what is desired. Focusing on why each polis was like that rather than the facts has assisted me in developing a bigger picture, and has allowed me to ponder why the two societies had such differing values.

I hope that I will be able to communicate this effectively into my final essay. I have planned another consulation  with my teacher for Thursday of this week, to get some final feedback and perhaps suggest some cuts, as my word count is slightly over the limit, which will need to be addressed.

Wednesday 15th August 2012

Yesterday, during allocated lesson time and homework time, I finalised the first draft of my special study. I am happy with the draft I have produced, and I am glad that it remains under the 2000wd maximum wordcount. I have double-checked the wording and sources of all quotes used throughout the essay, to ensure maximum accuracy. I look forward to receiving feedback once my essay has been drafted, and taking it on board to ensure the maximum grade possible will be achieved.

Monday 13th August 2012

The lesson today was again assigned to finalising and perfecting the first draft of our special study. I continued to work on my draft over the weekend, and have now written all of the main body paragraphs, although more depth is required. I now need to check the referencing of all of my quotes, and add my final bibliography to the draft, as there is no excuse for having imperfect referencing. I hope to write my introduction and conclusion in tomorrow's double, which has also been assigned as time for working on my special study. I am confident that I will meet the draft deadline (this Friday) and hope to have a near perfect essay ready for drafting, in order to gain maximum feedback for a high mark.

Thursday 9th August 2012

We have been given a lesson today to work on our special study. The first draft is due Friday next week. I feel confident that I will make the deadline with ease, and am enjoying pulling together the paragraphs of my essay.

Today I plan to go through and extract possible quotes from two of my sources which I appear to have overlooked in my noting. I do not have access to some of my noting today, and so I think my time would be best spent searching for more possible quotes, which I can later include in my essay.

I am looking forward to completing the draft of my essay and working on suggestions provided in the drafting stage.

Friday 27th July 2012

I continued my noting from texts I have collected for my special study throughout the holidays. I also began to arrange and collect quotes which will be relevant to my essay. After much consideration, I think I will use the following subtopics as paragraphs:

- Politics
- Economy
- Family Life: marrige, children
- Other Activites, eg. sports etc.

Since returning to school, I have begun writing the draft for my final essay. Using quotes I collected and organised throughout the holidays, I have been able to easily write paragraphs which flow well. I am glad that I did some preparation throughout the holidays, as it has enabled me to write my essay with ease.