The Sources from Xenophon and Isaeus show very similar male attitudes towards Athenian women. How far do you agree?
The Sources from Xenophon and Isaeus show very similar male attitudes towards Athenian women. How far do you agree?
I agree to a certain extent that Xenophon and Isaeus show similar attitudes towards women.
In the source 'How to train a wife' written by Xenophon he details a conversation between Socrates and Ischomacus which he tried to learn from Ischomachus how he managed to have such leisure from managing his estate. Ischomachus explains that he leaves the management up to his wife, and describes to Socrates how he has trained her.
Ischomacus uses different topics to support his arguments. Religion is the main source for the argument explaining that the roles assigned to women by society is part of the will of the Gods implying that it is a natural part of life. Also he uses using a physical argument that women are more suited to their roles because of how they are physically different. The argument of nature is then used as he compares his wife to a 'queen bee' who never leaves her hive just like an Athenian woman can rarely leave her home. Finally he explains that tradition and custom are another reason for women and their roles in Athenian life detailing that it has always been the way of life and therefore always will be. To a certain extent this view of women as housewives whose roles are simply just to look after the home and children is most probably shared by the majority of the male dominated Athenian society.