Women in Power

• What idea was Athenian democracy based on?


  that it was thecivic dutyof allmale citizensto be involved inpolitics, with anequal votein matters of the state
• How was Athenian democracy different from modern democracy?

  - athenians voted on matters of thestate>>direct democracy- modern society vote for parties
• What idea was Athenian democracy based on?


  that it was thecivic dutyof allmale citizensto be involved inpolitics, with anequal votein matters of the state
• How was Athenian democracy different from modern democracy?

  - athenians voted on matters of thestate>>direct democracy- modern society vote for parties
• A: Where matters of political importance discussed and voted on?

  - in the Assembly (Ecclesia)- every9 days
• A: Where matters of political importance discussed and voted on?

  - in the Assembly (Ecclesia)- every9 days
• A: What was the

  Ecclesiaand where would it take place?- the athenianAssembly-6000people would be chosen for adiscussionon matters ofpolitical importance- takes place in thepynx- every9 days
• A: What happened at a meeting of the assembly?

  - aheraldwould introduce topics selected by thecouncil, theBoule- all members of the Assembly would have anequalright to speak and try to sway the opinions of the others- the members wouldvotebyraising their handand a designatedmagistratewould calculate the outcome of the vote
• A: In the Assembly who were more likely to sway the crowd and why?

  - wealthy, educated citizens

  - able to use their public speaking skills
• A: What was the athenian council called?


  - theBoule- consisted of500people-50from each tribe
• A: Conditions needed to be eligible for the Assembly [6]

  - be a man

  - be over the age of 18

  - could not be a slave or freedman

  - be an athenian citizen - you and parents born in athens

  - pay all your taxes

  - serve in the military for at least 2 years
• A: With all the restrictions on joining the Assembly, what percentage of the population was likely to be eligible to participate?

  20%
• A: Why could women not attend the Assembly and what did this prevent them from doing?

  - women were not technically atheniancitizens

  - could not participate inpolitical debate- could notvoteon important matters of state- could not be chosen asmagistratesandcity officials- could not hold a position of any real political power
• A: If women could not hold a position of any real political power, where did they have the main influence in athenian society?

  - soothsaying, prophecies- could wield political power through thise.g.governmentswould often consult manteis on matters of national importancee.g.Lycurgus, the legendary spartan law giver, consulted an oracle for guidance on hislegal reformse.g. a mantis would be taken onmilitary campaigns
• A: Where would the Assembly meet?


  at thePnyx
• A: Prescribed source

  Genre:

  Assemblywomen,Aristophanescomic drama (satire)
• A: What happens in Aristophanes´Assemblywomen?


  - the play centres around a kyria namedPraxagoraand a group of women- Praxagora has devised a scheme to take power from the men of the Assembly (who she thinks are doing a bad job of governing) and to give power to the women of Athens
• A: What was the

  Ecclesiaand where would it take place?- the athenianAssembly-6000people would be chosen for adiscussionon matters ofpolitical importance- takes place in thepynx- every9 days
• A:

  PSAssemblywomenHow does Aristophanes present Praxagora´s gang of women? Use evidence- preoccupied with sex>> praxagora thinks of it when she invokes the lamp>>´manoeuvres of aphrodite´

  - like to gossip´is there anyone here who doesn't know how to chatter, honey?´

  - under their husband´s control>>´i had such a bother sneaking out´

  - like to drink and bet´the last one to turn up would lose 3 measures of wine´´tavern-keepers should be banned from filling their win-pits with water´>> come across as alcoholics>> even their laws consist of alcohol

  - Praxagora comes across as intelligent and commanding, in across to the other women who play to their foolish stereotypes´by Artemis´>> what women would say >> clumsy´dont i get a drink before i speak´>> presents the other women as stupid, pathetic

  ´again, you fool, you´re calling men women!´>> clever´even if he becomes good for a single day, he will become bad for ten more´>> praxagora criticises men in a competent and clever way
• A:

  PSAssemblywomenDo you think that the women in Aristophanes´Assemblywomen are presented positively or negatively?positive+ praxagora is competent at making speeches>>points out the short-sighted self interest of men>> educated , intelligent+ transferrable skills of the women>>´they are mothers, so will be eager to protect out soldiers´+ despite their rather ditzy portrayal, the women are no worse than their description of the men

  negative- the women showed to like to drink and bet´the last one to turn up would lose 3 measures of wine´>> inappropriate for a kyria- preoccupied by sex´manoeuvres of aphrodite´>> immodest- praxagora is too masculine>> shows leadership skills, is very competent and commanding- women being in thepublic sphere, wanting to take over from the men- women´s success used as a means of criticising the effeminacy of well-known individuals likeEpigonus
• A: Who was

  Agnodice?What did she do?- the first recorded example of an atheniandoctorfor women and amidwife- it was against the law for a woman to train as a doctor in Athens, but Agnodice wanted to help women through thedangers of pregnancy and childbirth- so she cut her hair anddisguised herself as a man
• A: Why did the women of Athens prefer Agnodice?


  they trusted her more than the male doctors
• A: What happened to Agnodice?

  - the male doctors in Athens became jealous and suspicious of her- a group of jealoushusbandsbrought acaseagainst Agnodice, claiming the reason for her popularity was that she was seducing their wives and using medical appointments as acover for affairs- during her trial, agnodice revealed her woman´s body to the jury, proving her innocence- this only spurred the accusers on. they accused her ofdeceitandpractising medicine against the law- the punishment would have beendeath
• A: Who narrates the story of what happened to Agnodice after her trial?

  the Roman writer,Hyginus
• A: What happened to Agnodice after her trial?

  narrated by roman writer,Hyginus- the women of athens came to the court and said:´you are not husbands but enemies, because you condemn her who discovered safety for us´- the menbowed to the pressure from their wivesandamended the law,so that women could learn the art of medicine- agnodice was acquitted of any crimes
• A: What does the story of Agnodice show about the women of Athens?


  - a rare example of the women involving themselves in thepublic sphere of politics + law- this shows how athenian women could make their voices heard through theinfluence they had over their male relatives
• A: Why may the story of Agnodice not be true?

  all the evidence for her life and trial was produced centuries after she lived
• A: What can we learn from the story of Agnodice about male attitudes towards women?

  - men were willing to change the law for something that benefits them

  - men thought women were intellectually inferior as women could not be doctors

  - women were able to influence the sphere of politics as a large group
• R: What was Rome´s governing body known as?


  theSenate
• R: What was the Senate and what did it do?


  - the Senate was anadvisory group- they met to discuss and offer advice on matters ofpolitical importanceto that year´smagistrates
• R: How often would the people of Rome vote for the next year´s

  magistrates?each year
• A: What happened at a meeting of the assembly?

  - aheraldwould introduce topics selected by thecouncil, theBoule- all members of the Assembly would have anequalright to speak and try to sway the opinions of the others- the members wouldvotebyraising their handand a designatedmagistratewould calculate the outcome of the vote
• R: Once a man had held just one elected position...

  he was automatically a member of the senate for life
• R: How were the different magistracies of Rome organised?

  How could one move up the ladder?

  - organised into a ´career ladder´ known as the´cursus honorum´- in order to progress up the ladder, you had to have held eachprevious position
• R: State the ranks, number each year and duties in the

  cursus honorum1.consul2per yearco-heads of state in charge of military and political relations; passed laws

  2.praetor8per yearran law courts

  3.aedile4per yearoversaw public services

  4.quaestor20per yearmanaged Rome´s finances
• R: What was the highest position on the

  cursus honorumand the job to which every Roman politician aspired?the consulship
• R: Why were there only 2 consuls per year?

  this was meant to safeguard against any one man having too much power
• R: What could the consuls do in times of national emergency?

  appoint adictator
• R: What was the role of the dictator during the times of national emergency?

  - a dictator hadtotal authorityin Rome, trumping the power of the consuls- he would serve for max6 monthsand then would be expected to step down having dealt with the crisis
• R: What roles could women not hold in Rome´s political system?

  - not eligible to stand orpublic officeso could not be members of theSenate- not eligible tovote in elections, so theycould not choose their representatives