Read Ebook: The history of the condition of women in various ages and nations (vol. 2 of 2) by Child D L

Font size: 10 px 15 px 20 px 25 px 30 px 35 px

Background color: BlackWhiteGrayLight GrayDark GrayDim Gray

Text color: BlackWhiteGrayLight GrayDark GrayDim Gray

Apply/Save settings

Ebook has 618 lines and 85045 words, and 13 pages

Northern nations that conquered Rome 77

Nun initiated 251

Offices held by women 146

Panegyrics on women 140

Peasantry of Europe 180, 187

Polanders 162

Portuguese 159

Pythia 26

Quaderoons 263

Queens 206

Romans 35

Russians 172

Russian settlements 246

Saint Dunstan's Well 116

Salique law 151

Satires on women 141

Scandinavians 77

Scotch 150

Sibyl of Cumae 55

Sibyl, Danish 83

Slave countries 212

South Sea islands 272

Spain 157

Spartans 30

Swedes 174

Swiss 169

Tournaments 100

Troubadours 105

Tricks, trying 133

Tyrolese 168

United States 255

Valentine's day 134

Vestals 52

Visigoths 77

Walachians 167

Widows 25, 51, 138, 205

Winnisberg, women of 98

Witches 131, 258

HISTORY OF WOMEN.

EUROPE.

Plutarch speaks with disapprobation of the Persian manner of treating women; yet the Greeks themselves kept them under very strict discipline. They had distinct apartments, in the highest and most retired part of the house, and among the wealthier classes these rooms were often kept locked and guarded. Women belonging to the royal families were not even allowed to go from one part of the house to the other without permission. When Antigone, in Euripides, obtains her mother's permission to go on the house-top to view the Argian army, her aged guardian insists upon first searching the passage, lest the profane eyes of a citizen should dishonor her by a glance.

Young girls were more rigorously secluded than married women; yet it was considered highly indecorous for the latter to be seen beyond the door-step, until they were old enough to assume the character of matrons. Menander says:

"You go beyond the married woman's bounds, And stand before the hall, which is not fit; The laws do not permit a free-born bride Farther than to the outer door to go."

Maidens were rarely allowed to appear in the presence of men; and never without veils. This covering was probably made of transparent stuff; for Iphigenia speaks of seeing her brother through "the veil's fine texture."

Eustathius says, "Women should keep within doors, and there talk." Thucydides declared that "she was the best woman of whom the least was said, either of good or harm;" according to the Greek proverb it was considered extremely dishonorable to be governed by a female; and Plato rejoiced that he was not born a woman.

A small coin, about the value of a penny.

Women were not allowed to attend the Olympic games; but this prohibition could not have existed at all periods; for we are told that Cynisca, daughter of Archidamus, king of Sparta, was the first woman who won the prize in the chariot-race at Olympia. Perhaps the Spartan women alone partook of these masculine diversions; those of more feminine habits would probably perceive the propriety of not attending games, where the combatants wrestled without clothing. In commemoration of her victory, Cynisca sent a chariot and four brazen horses, to be dedicated to Olympian Jupiter.

In the earliest ages, Greek women had a right to vote in the public assemblies; but this privilege was taken away from them. They were never allowed to be present at banquets, and it is not supposed that they ever ate in the same apartment with the men.

The restraint of female influence being thus removed, it may be presumed that the outward forms of decency were less scrupulously observed than they would have been under a different system. A fine of one thousand drachmas was imposed upon every woman who appeared in public without clothing; and the necessity of making such a law does not speak well for purity of manners.

That women were not always entirely passive and subservient, appears by the example of Xantippe, so famous for her household eloquence; and by the dispute between Agamemnon and his wife, concerning his wish that she should absent herself from the wedding of her daughter Iphigenia:

Themistocles used to say, "My little boy rules Athens; for he governs his mother, and his mother governs me."

Share on: WhatsApp @Hash Facebook Tweet