Oeconomicus Essay - Grade: A- PDF

Preview

Summary

This is the essay examing the Socratic dialogue Oecemonicus....

Description

Western Civilization Perspective 1 14 September 2017 Queen Bee Stays in the Hive Oeconomicus is a Socratic dialogue written by Xenophon in 362 BC. Xenophon writes a dialogue between Socrates and Ischomachus. In Xenophon’s piece, Socrates asks Ischomachus about his wife and household. Socrates is interested in how Ischomachus led his wife to become the proper housewife (Xenophon 1). Through the dialogue between Socrates and Ischomachus Xenophon reveals the inferior role women played in Ancient Greek society. During the Ancient Greek time period, wealthy men would buy wives. Ischomachus, being a wealthy man bought his wife and taught her how to be the perfect wife. In Xenophon’s dialogue he has Socrates ask the question, “ ‘Ah, Ischomachus,’ said I, ‘that is just what I want to hear from you. Did you yourself train your wife to be of the right sort, or did she know her household duties when you received her from her parents?’(Xenophon 1). Ischomachus responds by explaining how his wife was only 14 when he got her so everything she knows about his household she learned from him (Xenophon 1). Ischomachus taught his wife by explaining to her that men have the job to do outdoor tasks and women, who are frailer, have their duty to do inside tasks (Xenophon 2). This argument leads Ischomachus to compare his wife to a queen bee. Ischomachus says that she shall work inside the hive and send others out to complete outside tasks (Xenophon 3). Then, he suggests that she will be respected, just as a queen bee is respected by the other bees, if she treats the servants with kindness (Xenophon 3). Xenophon depicts the dialogue between Ischomachus and his wife, where she is open to this idea of being queen bee,“ ‘And pray,’ said she, ‘How do the queen bee’s tasks resemble those that I have to do’ ” (Xenophon 3). Ischomachus wife is very obedient and is willing to listen to the rules that her husband gives her.

Later, Ischomachus suggests to his wife that God has given her assigned duties, different from men because women do not have the same endurance men are gifted with (Xenophon 2). In turn, God granted women the ability to show affection more than men (Xenophon 2). Upon reflection, Ischomachus suggests that both men and women share an equal memory and attention span (Xenophon 2). This means that Ischomachus sees his wife as having similar mental abilities as men, but still rather her complete only inside tasks. Then, Xenophon has Ischomachus use another simile to help his wife understand her duties, he suggests that the household is run like an army. Xenophon writes, “ an army in disorder is a confused mass, an easy prey to enemies, a disgusting sight to friends and utterly useless” (Xenophon 4). This quote means that if an army is not organized, it will not produce a good outcome. Then to show the contrast Xenophon writes,“But an army in orderly array is a noble sight to friends, and an unwelcome spectacle to the enemy (Xenophon 4). He is using the example of an army to show that if his household is not run in a organized and orderly manner, nothing will get accomplished. Ischomachus connects the discussion about the army to how his wife can learn to organize his home. He explained that he will make a place for everything so she can retrieve the things as he pleases. Also, she learned where everything is located in the house, so she will be able to perform more indoor tasks for him. He showes her where everything is placed and allows her to learn the ways of the house (Xenophon 4). Ischomachus continues to explain to socrates that he told his wife that it's her job to watch the servants and make sure they stay in their gender separated quarters (Xenophon 5). Socrates is so intrigued by the way Ischomachus explains how the deals with his wife and continues to react to Ischomachus in a questioning manner. Ischomachus not only critics how is wife manages the house, but he criticizes how she

manages her looks. It appears in Xenophon's writings that Ischomachus’ wife would try to embellish her looks. Ischomachus says “Socrates I noticed that her face was made up: she had rubbed in white lead in order to look even whiter than she is, and alkanet juice to heighten the rosy colour of her cheeks; and she was wearing boots with thick soles to increase her height” (Xenophon 7). Here Ischomachus describes how his wife makes herself up for his approval. Instead of enjoying that his wife goes through the trouble for him, Ischomachus decides to tell her it is not how he wishes her to appear. He instead wants her to show her natural beauty. Ischomachus says to his wife, “I also said it was excellent exercise to mix flour and knead dough; and to shake and fold cloaks and bedclothes; such exercise would give her a better appetite, improve her health, and add natural colour to her cheeks”(Xenophon 7). Ischomachus suggests that through her hard work in the house, she will become stronger and more appealing to him. Therefore, he wishes her to not fuss over her appearance, rather just become more beautiful through hard work in the house. All of Ischomachus arguments in Xenophon's dialogue connect through the sole message of obedience. His arguments show what values and responsibilities a women must have to appease her husband during this time period. In Ancient Greece, women were sold, by their parents, to wealthy men, like Ischomachus. The inner message that author Xenophon is trying to convey is how women are seen as a step up from slaves. Women are not permitted lives outside the home and must follow rules, like slave. In Xenophon’s eyes women had the sole purpose satisfying the needs of their husband. Therefore, Xenophon’s writings show how women are inferior to men of power in ancient greek culture....