Ancient Greeks the Common Greek House Consists

Ancient Greeks

The common Greek house consists of two stories with all the rooms built around a courtyard, and two rooms consisting of the andron and gynaikonitis, the men's and women's quarter's respectively, with the gynaikonitis on the second floor and the men's apartment just below it (Athenian pp). This arrangement makes it convenient for husbands to entertain in their quarters, which basically serves as a banquet room, without disturbing their wives (Athenian pp).

The main marketplace is called the Agora and serves as both the civic and commercial center (Athenian pp). It is where Athenians shop for daily food and supplies, and where on any typical day, citizens may participate in a variety of political activities, thus this is a crowded area of the city, with much hustle and bustle about (Athenian pp). The majority of the people in the marketplace are male, however there are a few Athenian women from the lower classes who, out of financial necessity, are there to do menial tasks such as fetching water, as are female slaves from the wealthier families (Athenian pp). The marketplace is generally regarded as a rather undesirable area, thus young males from aristocratic families are not allowed to spend much time there until they reach adulthood, and even then, it is considered bad character to frequent the Agora (Athenian pp).

Greeks can be quite inventive when it comes to coping with internal governmental and/or political problems (Kyrtatas pp). For example, colonialism is a successful remedy for land-hunger, which is among the main causes of social discontent (Kyrtatas pp). Exiling political leaders and their supporters gives other leaders a chance of executing their programs without challenge (Kyrtatas pp). For example, the Peisistratid tyrants were expelled from Athens (Hansen pp). And although wars with neighbors are not always victorious, they do however, tend to strengthen the internal front (Kyrtatas pp). Also important to daily life, is the fact that majority rules, which helps to keep the community united while at the same time addressing the issues at hand (Kyrtatas pp). Consent, participation, rights, liberties, self-determination, and autonomy are all among the characteristics of Athenian democracy (Saxonhouse pp).

Moreover, religious festivals and ritual purifications, along with athletic contests help to create a civic cohesion (Kyrtatas pp). The most important and grandest festival is the Panathenaea, which falls on the 28th day of the month called Hekatombaion (Athenian pp). Everyone throughout the city and surrounding areas takes part in the festival, and it is actually one of the few occasions in which women are allowed out of the house and are able to take an active role in a public function (Athenian pp). Slaves are not allowed to participate in the festival, however freed slaves and metics, or resident aliens, can participate in most of the festivities (Athenian pp). This festival is dedicated to Athena's birthday and honors the goddess as the city's patron divinity (Athenian pp). The festival includes musical and rhapsodic contests, athletic contests for boys and youths, athletic contests for men, equestrian contests, tribal contests, torch race, procession and sacrifice, boat races, as well as much feasting and celebration (Athenian pp).

Although a democratic, only men can be citizens in Greek society, and only the upper-class males receive a formal education (Everyday pp). Women have few political rights and are expected to stay in the home and bear children (Everyday pp). Nearly a fourth of the population are slaves, most prisoners captured during conflicts and wars, and it is the slaves that provide most of the manpower needed to fuel the economy by working in shipyards, quarries, mines, and as domestic servants (Everyday pp).

Most Greek homes are quite modest, furniture is rare, and most are windowless and wrap around a courtyard (Everyday pp). Due to the mild Mediterranean climate, citizens spend the majority of the day outdoors (Everyday pp). Like the homes, the Greek diet is fairly modest, based mostly on wine and bread (Everyday pp). A typical daily diet starts with bread dipped in wine in the morning, and the same for lunch, then for dinner fruits, vegetables and fish are added (Everyday pp). Meat is only served on special occasion such as religious holidays (Everyday pp).

On typical days, one rises, has bread and wine, and then perhaps visits with friends (Everyday pp). A servant boy brings the horse from the farm in order for his master to travel to town to conduct business (Everyday pp). Generally, the master will follow the slave to the farm, and while there inspect his laborers as they plant trees, sow or reap the crops and basically inspect all details concerning the farm (Everyday pp).

Greeks considered children to be youths until they reached the age of thirty, and when a child is born, the father strips naked and carries the child in a ritual dance around the house (Daily pp). Gifts are sent by friends and relatives and the family's doorway of their home is decorated with a wreath of olives if the baby is a boy, and a wreath of wool if a girl (Daily pp).

Women are generally bound by a marriage contract that their fathers made when they were very young, thus women are clearly dominated by males from birth until death (Athenian pp). Moreover, unmarried females are kept from contract with adult males outside the family, thus there is no dating between the bride and groom, for the sole purpose of marriage is procreation, especially a male heir (Athenian pp). Furthermore, women are expected to remain indoors, while men on the other hand are expected to take care of affairs outside the house, for a man to remain indoors is considered shameful (Athenian pp). And although the household in under the wife's management, it is up to the husband to teach his wife how to manage the household (Athenian pp).

Thus the inner space of the house is the wife's domain, while the husband's life is conducted out of doors in the Agora, the Assembly, the gymnasium, on the farms, and during times of war, either at sea or on the battlefield (Athenian pp).