Women In Ancient Greece

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writer, was the one about whom the least was said, whether it be good or bad”(Thompson 1).[applies to Athens, not all of Greece]
One would not know the above had Greek history been passed on through literature. For in the literary world, women were overstated. They talked to their man, had influence on their man, and were recognized by others. To support Foley’s statement, the works of Euripides, Plato, and Aristotle will be discussed in Medea, a passage from The Republic, and a passage form Politics, respectively.
Medea tells the story of a divorced woman who enacts revenge on her ex-husband by murdering everyone he cares about in order to ruin his life. To begin with, the background of Medea is quite intriguing.
In previous tales, Medea accompanied, was not kept by, her husband Jason through an adventure to get the Golden Fleece which would be to his benefit. Medea played a big role in defeating a terrifying monster that stood in Jason’s path, and would
Schneider 3
eventually kill her own brother so the two could escape. In reality, none of this would have even been thought of. Aside from the magical powers Medea had, as her grandfather was Apollo, as well as the monster, a husband would never expect anything of this magnitude from his wife. Medea would not have accompanied Jason on his journey, as Penelope did not accompany Odysseus in The Odyssey. Medea played an important role in her relationship with Jason, a role that never would have existed in true Greece.
In Medea, the protagonist of the same name exhibits many qualities that violate Greek culture. For example, she is a barbarian. That is to say, Medea is not Greek. She is from another civilization viewed inferior to that of Greec. Also, after she has been divorced by her husband, Jason, her moaning and depression reflects the beliefs of having strong emotions, but her mi...