The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-10-23
GRECIAN WIVES.
rFrom Appleton,s Journal.l

from AppletOnS JOuInalJ
The wives of the Greeks lived in almost alb
solute seclusion. They were usually married
when very young. Their occupations were to
weave, to spin, to embroider, to superintend
the household, 10 care for their sick slaves.
They lived in special and retired part OF the
house. The more wealthy seldom went abroad,
and never except when accompanied by fe-
male slave; never attended the public specta-
cles; received 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-eminent virtue was
fidelity, and it is probable that this was very
strictly and very generally observed. Their
remarkable freedom from temptations, the
public opinion which strongly discouraged
any attempt to seduce them, and the ample
sphere for illicit pleasures that was accorded
to the other sex, all contributed to protect it.
On the other hand, living as they did, almost
exclusively among their female slaves, de-
prived of all the educating influence OF male
society, and having no place at those public
spectacles which were the chief means OF
Athenian culture, their mtnts must necessa-
rily have been exceedingly contracted. Thu
cydides doubtless expressed the prevailing
sentiment of his countNmen when he said
that the highest merit Of woman is not to be
spoken of either for geod or for evil, and
| Phidias illustrated the same theory when he
represented the heavenly Aphrodite standing
on tortoise, typifying thereby the secluded
life Of virtuous woman.
In their own restricted sphere their lives
were probably not unhappy. Education and
custom rendered the purely domestic life that
was assigned to them a second nature, ana II
| must in most instances, have reconciled them
to the extra matrimonial connections In which
their husbands too frequently INDUCED. Tne
prevailing manners were very gentle. Domes-
tic oppression is hasdly eve: spoken OF; the
ohoy Z n nanp.
es of jealousy and OF dissension could seldom
occur, and feeling of warm affection, though
not a feeling Of equality, must doubtless have
in most cases spontaneously arisen. In the
writings OF Xenophon we have charming
picture of a husband who had received into
bis arms his young wife of fifteen, absolutely
ignorant of the world and its ways. He speaks
to her with extreme kindness, but in the
lanSuage that would be used TO little
child. Her task, he tells her, is TO be like
queen bee, dwelling continually at home and
experimenting the work OF her slaves. She
must Distribute TO each their tasks. mnst ocono
| mize the family Income, and must take espe-
| cial care that the house is strictly orderly
the shoes, the pots and the clothes, always In
| their places. 1t is also, he tells her, part of
her duty to tend her sick slaves; but here his
| wife interrupted hin, eXclaiming, NAY, but
that will indeed be the most agreeable Of my
Offices, if such as treat with kindness are
likely to be grateful, and to love me more
than BEFORE with very tender and delicate
care to avoid everything resembling re-
proach, the husband persuades his wife to
give up the habit of wearing high-heeled
boots, in order to appear tall, and of coloring
her face with vermiron and white lead. He
promises her that, If she faithfully performs
her duties, he will himself be the first and
most devoted of her slaves. He assured So
crates that, when any domestic dispute arose,
he could extricate himselfadmirably, if he was
in the right; but that, whenever he was in the
wrong, he found it impossible to convince
his wife that it was otherwise.