2020 IB Extended Essays

OKIOS

The domestic representation of women in Athenian art in mythology and literature contradicted the reality of women’s position in Athenian society. However, it can also be argued that women were partially represented accurately in mythology and literature, due to partial references of similarities between women in fiction and reality. The references were, female’s acknowledgement of the social hierarchy of Athenian society and the aspirations and dreams to be domestically above men’s rule. Furthermore, it is imperative to understand female’s portrayal in Athenian art and their position in society to draw comparisons on whether fiction accurately depicted reality. One of the main causes of domestic oppression towards women was due to the connotation that all women brought misery and destruction if they were not properly ‘tamed’. The ideology of female seclusion stemmed from Zeus’s establishment of the patriarchal system and ancient Philosophers myths, legends and literary texts. The creation of the patriarchal system by the God who rules all Gods provided men the power and motive to believe they were the superior sex and the right to force women into seclusion. The ideology was further developed by ancient Philosophers such as Hesiod and Xenophon who worshipped the idea of men’s superiority. As dominant male ideology became more commanding and powerful, women were pushed to the side and forced into seclusion. In Athenian society, women were taught the punishment and rules of staying inside the Okios. An ideal woman was a tamed woman who heeded to every man’s word without argument or disagreement. Moreover, a girl’s education was for the sole purpose of preparing her for her role in rearing a family and “not to stimulate intellectual development” (Mark Carwright, 2016). Men only saw women as serving the role of child bearing, which has been the subject of celebration in some cultures, the Greeks contradict this, announcing that “the child born from the mother … was solely the father’s”