The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1869-11-12
Greoian Wives.

The wives of the Greeks lived in
almost a! 's absolute seclusion. They
were usually y: ,aI married when very
yoang TheiFr IF o'cseSIp,aattiiSns ':sSI,ati{S'n's were to
&eesyye' e sP9Inn, P9n, to sIhRREE!9,ider, to sa-
i%sfiiihiltteshd It's hfl!o'yg!sehold, to care for
S|E 'ne|EE Ss''GGkk S'Gkk siaayes. They lived in q q
special and retired part of the house. h, !.
The moro wealthy seldom went
abroad, and never except when nc.
companied by a female slave !; never
afforded the public spectacles; ,c-
ccived no male visitors except in the
presence of their husbands, and had
not even seat at their own tables
when male guests were there. Their
pre'em'nent virtue was fidelity, and
It's probable that this was very
strictly and very generally observ
Their remarkable freedom from temp
tatlons, the public feelings which
strongly discouraged any attempt to
seduce them, and the ample sphere;
Tor illicit pleasures that was accorded
to the other sex, all contributed to
protect 1t. On the other hand, liv-
ing as they did, almost exclusive
among Their female slaves, deprived
OF all tho educating influence of
male society, and having no place at
those public spcctaclss which were
1lle chelf means Of Athcnian culture
their minds must necessarily have
been exceedingly c''ntr. ted. Thu.
cyd'do* doubtless expressed the y c.
va'l'ng sentiment Of his coun,rv,ucu
when he said that the highest merit
oi woman is nc. 10 be spoken If
either for good o.. Tor evil, and PHI
d'as lustrated the SAINT III. orv when
he represented the heavenly Ai.r,d.tc
standing on tortoise, typllylng
thereby the secluded Lille OF vir,u.
Gus woman.
In their own restricted sphere
Their livca were probably not unh:p.
tpy. Education and custom rendered
the purely domestic life that was as
signed to them q second nature, and
1t must, in most instances, have rec
onciled them to the extra matrimon,.
al connections in which their hus-
bands too frequently induIgcd. The
prevailing manners were very gcntle.
Domestic oppression is hardly eyer
spoken of; the husband lived chiefly
in the public place; causes of .jeal-
ousy and of dissention could seldom
occur, and feclingof warm affection
though not feeling Of equality,
mast doubtless have in most cases
spontaneously arisen. In the writ.
'n.s of Aenophon we have charm
ing picture Of husband who had
received into his arms his young wife
Of fifteen, absolutely ignorant of the
world, ard It's ways. lie speaks to
her with extreme kindness, but in
the language that would be used to a
little child. Hcr task, he tells her is
to be like queen bee, dwelling con,
t.nually at home and surerintending
the work Of her slaves. She must
distribute to each their tasks, must
economic the family income and mus,
take especial care tina: the house is
strictly o'derly-,he, shoes the pots
and the clothes, always in taeir places
ltis also, he tells her, a part of he,
duty to tend her sick slaves; bnt
here his wife interrupted him, ex-
claiming, ''Nay but that will indeed
be the most agreeable Of my offices,
if such as I treat for my kindness are
likely to be grateful. and to love me
more than before" With very
tender and delicate care to avoid
everything resembling Il reproach,
the husband perSuades his wife to
give up the hab', Of wearing high:
heeled boots. in order to appear tall,
and of coloring her face with YER.
million and white lea,l He promises
her that, if she faithfully performs
herr duties, be will himself be the
first aid most devoted of her slaves
lie assured Socrates that, when any
domestic dispute arose, he could ex,rl.
cate h'ms' If admirably, If he W. in
the right; but that whenever lie was
IN the wrong, he found it impossible
to convince his wife that it was otner
wise.-Appleton's journal.