Women in Ancient Times

Regardless of the century or place, women have often been regarded as the lesser gender in comparison to males. The rights and roles of females have been a long-standing issue where most societies have a patriarchal system and culture — but not all of them. Various ancient civilizations held diverse views on female intellectual capabilities, views which were usually influenced by culture, religion, and the circumstances of society. In Ancient Egypt, for example, women actually enjoyed relatively high status and opportunities for education or intellectual pursuits. Women also demonstrated that they could ascend to positions of power and influence; for example, Hatshepsut and Cleopatra were both respected female rulers of Egypt. To be clear, most of the privileges and opportunities were given only to females in royalty or high class (Mark). According to the Egypt Exploration Society, Ancient Egyptian women had many rights that European women did not obtain until the 20th century. Not only could they divorce their husbands, but “women in ancient Egypt had the right to buy and inherit property. They could represent themselves in court and own businesses” (“Women in Ancient Egypt.”). These rights reflected greater respect for females and their capabilities than almost any other civilization in the past.

Conversely, across the Mediterranean Sea, women were not afforded the same rights or opportunities for education and power. In Ancient Greek society, the patriarchy which placed women in subordinate roles and limited their access to formal education and intellectual discourse, was present and potent for hundreds of years. Well-respected and famous to this day, philosophers such as Aristotle promoted misogynistic beliefs to their students and to the masses. While some scholars argue that Aristotle and other influential men during this time never expressly stated that women were intellectually inferior, they also never advocated for equal rights, respect, or representation. Women in Ancient Greece were technically allowed some rights and power, but they were very hard to achieve and usually were only granted to women of affluence (Colette and Barton).

Socrates and Plato were the most progressive philosophers during the Ancient Greek and Roman times. They spoke out against the unfair treatment and expectations of women while others who might not have perpetuated it stayed silent on the subject. In Plato’s Republic, he described the ideology of Socrates towards female capabilities. Plato adopted this idea and wrote, “if the difference consists only in women bearing and men begetting children, this does not amount to a proof that a woman differs from men in respect of the sort of education she should receive; and we shall therefore continue to maintain that our guardians and their wives ought to have the same pursuits (Pl. Resp. 5.)” (Collete and Barton).