Women in Egypt and Greece PDF

Preview

Summary

assignment about women in both society of ancient Greece and Egypt ...

Description

Randy Castillo 11/9/17 Anth 1105 MW3

Throughout time, many countries such as ancient Egypt and ancient Greece treated women differently. Women in Egypt compared to women in Greece have their similarity, but also their differences. Women’s role varies in ancient Egypt and Greece that made them have more freedom or just simply stuck to doing a specific role that the men didn’t do. Ancient Egyptian women actually had more freedom than the women in ancient Greece. In ancient Egypt, women played many specific roles that help shape society throughout time. Many of their roles required them to do so many important tasks that made them ahead in time and helped shape Egypt. Some of the women in ancient Egypt were queens that brought many greet years to Egypt through each era. Some were weavers that weaved clothing for the people of Egypt and the pharaohs. Many were mothers or were seen as mothers that helped raise the children of Egypt. Also, unlike many countries of today, women in Egypt had more freedom during ancient times. Many women actually enjoyed quite a bit of the same rights as men of ancient Egypt. In ancient Egypt, there were four lost queens that took a role of great power. One of the four, who was actually one of the first, was Hatshepsut. She was the first to take on the role of pharaoh. Just as many pharaoh before Hatshepsut and even after her, Hatshepsut role was to rule over Egypt. According to ushistory.org, she first became pharaoh in 1500 B.C.E that builds temples for the gods and was able take care of her people. (Woman of Egypt…)

Randy Castillo 11/9/17 Anth 1105 MW3

The fact that there was a female ruler at some point in time has shown that women in Egypt could actually been treated as equally as men or have equal chances. Women in Egypt even had the freedom to marry and even divorce to search for a new spouse that they were free to choose. According to Joshua J. Mark, women in ancient Egypt were “equal in every aspect except occupation. Also, Mark stated that women were important in Ancient Egypt because

Egypt valued the importance of women because of the earliest creation myths emphasizes on the values of female principle thanks to goddesses such as Isis and Neith. Women also stood by men in court and had some influence over the courtroom. (Mark, Joshua J…) Unlike the women in Egypt, women in Greece roles were different. Women in Greece were there to bare children and to take care of the home for the men. There weren’t much women could do outside of their place with men. According to rwaag.com, women were also courtesans that were out in public to entertain men with vacations that were very limited. Courtesans spend most of their time to entertain and/or be at the house. They also have no say in court or could vote. Women were also treated as lower class citizens due to their role that were expected of men and how they have no power. (Jeffrey, Victor, Makenzie Nye…) The difference between Egypt and Greece, it seems that Egyptian women were more appreciated than the women in Greece. Women in Egypt had influence in the political world, which allowed women like Cleopatra to become a powerful leader and gave rise to female pharaohs. Women in Greece were not even allowed to leave their houses unless they are accompany by men or they would be as low-class people. Greece had a system called Patriarchy, where the male is was head of the household. Rich women in Greece were kept in the house,

Randy Castillo 11/9/17 Anth 1105 MW3

who was in charge of the slaves and the children of the house. (Ancient Greece: Religion and Gender…) Women in Greece weren’t even allowed to divorce, whereas women in Egypt were allow to divorce and marry whoever they pleased. Even though women in Greece were more restricted than the women in Egypt, there were many similarities between the two. Egyptian women had a bit more freedom, but were actually restricted when it comes to government just like Greece because the government in both Greece and Egypt were male dominant and mostly men made rules. Women role in both ancient Greece and Egypt would heavily be inside the house, mostly. A woman in both ancient society were the caretaker of the household where their responsibility was to take care of their children while a man was out doing his business. Also, both ancient civilization’s high-class women had a role to look as their best as possible, especially when next to their husbands or the women would be judged as lower-class. The role of women in both Greece and Egypt had their differences when it comes to restrictions such as when or where was a right time to say or if they had a voice when it comes to...