“Welcome to Thebes” & Athenian society: status, gender, power and empire

1. “Welcome to Thebes” & Athenian society:status, gender, power and empire

2. Quiz Citizen men constituted approximately what percentage of the overall population of Athens, according to the figures from 431 BCE? 10% 20% 25% The typical age for Athenian young women to marry was 14-16 18-20 20-22 In a source analysis, we learn that Euphiletus is on trial because he committed adultery with his neighbor’s wife conducted an illicit affair with his sister Elpinike killed his wife’s alleged lover

3. “Welcome to Thebes”:status, gender, power and empire Why did you like the play? what can tragedy teach us? Who were the tragic figures? whose hubris led to his or her own destruction? What role does fate (as uttered by Teiresias) play? what about gender? and empire? Memorable dialogue “Tragedy reminds us how to live” (Theseus) “How we treat the dead illuminates how we will live” (chorus) “Athens has philosophy, art, literature, science” (Theseus) “I am the hope of Athens and the world” (Theseus) “Athens bestows equality, respect” (chorus) “You, your sister, your mother-fucking dad” (Pargeia) “Athens’ time will come” (Teiresias to audience)

4. Athenian society: status, gender, power and empire

5. Who ran the empire? Who did not?

6. Athens: the center of empire477-432 (origins, growth), 432-404 (Peloponnesian War: loss of empire) Acropolis with Parthenon Agora: civic & commercial center Meeting of the Ekklesia (assembly)

7. Dichtomomies in the Greek / Athenian polis • Greeks vs. barbaroi • male vs. female • free vs. slave • citizen vs. non-citizen

8. Athenian demographics & social status

9. If our Scribner Seminar were Athens

10. Lives of men in the Athenian polis • acceptance / exposure at birth • values: strength, fortitude, courage, sexual aggressionἀρετή (aretê, “excellence”) • locales for such behavior:

11. ἄνδρον (andron, “men’s room”) for symposia • οἶκος (oikos, “household”)

12. ἀγορά(agora,“civic/market”) • πολιτεῖα (politeia, “government”) • βουλή (boulê, “council”) • ἐκκλησία (met on Pnyx) (ekklêsia, “assembly”) • δικαστήρια (dikasteria, “jury-courts”) • ἄρχαι (archai, “magistracies”) Pnyx

13. πόλεμος (polemos, “war”)

14. ἄγονες (agones, “competitions,” e.g., athletics) • Panhellenic festivals (Delphi, Isthmia, Olympia, Nemea) • local festivals (Panathenaia, Athena’s olive-oil as prize)

15. συμπόσιον (symposion, “dinner-party”) held in the ἄνδρον(andron, “men’s-room”)

16. εὐφροσύνη (euphrosynê, “festivity”): music, poetry, politics, drinking-games and sexuality

17. κότταβος (kottabos): drinking-game

18. Homesexuality • ἔραστεςerastes, “lover” • ἐρόμενοςeromenos “beloved”

19. Lives of women in the Athenian polis • acceptance / exposure at birth • values: fertility, household management, woolworkingἀρετή (aretê, “excellence”) • locales for such behavior: • οἶκος (oikos, “household”) • ἀγορά (agora, “civic/market center”) with a guardian

20. οἶκος (oikos, “household”): marriage: transactional • honey-cakes at feast before “wedding” • rides in carriage to husband’s (parents’) home • bridal gifts • dowry

21. οἶκος (oikos, “household”): children, wool-working, cooking, records, slave oversight, and care of the sick, elderly and dead

22. οἶκος (oikos,“household”)children and child-rearing

23. οἶκος (oikos, “household”) wool-working, weaving

24. οἶκος (oikos, “household”) cooking

25. οἶκος (oikos, “household”) record-keeping (literacy)

26. οἶκος (oikos, “household”) slave oversight

27. οἶκος (oikos, “household”): care of the sick, elderly and dead: women as mourners

28. Outside of the οἶκος: religious festivals for women Arkteia, puberty Thesmophoria, fertility Panathenaia, community-wide Given what you’ve learned about the proper roles of Athenian women, how would you decide in the case of Euphiletos and the murder of Eratosthenes?

29. Women at the symposion: ἑταίραι, hetairai, “courtesans”

30. Heterosexuality: hetairai & πόρναι (pornai, “prostitutes”) In light of the class distinctions among women in Athens, how should we assess the life of Neaira?

31. Slaves and metics: no property rights, no voting or civic service • but can serve in military • slaves are property • usually not Greek (exc. allies) • stereotypes: lazy, thievish • could purchase freedom • rarely achieve citizenship • Women • woolworkers, shopkeepers • midwives, wetnurses • water-bearers • care for the sick & elderly • prostitutes, entertainers • Men • craftsmen, workers (Acropolis) • help soldiers in war • public slaves: police, archivists • weights/measures • work in Laureion mines

32. Who ran the empire? Who did not?