The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-11-17
Nv.

W@-ANR As AG0b e1S AoeNAAhe9a
him, but does not reveal his secret.
w.
A survey OF the most conspicuous women
and goddesses Of the HomeriO poems shows
that the Greek women Of the poets time
were far from being kept in semi-Oriental
seoluaion. In time OF extreme danger,
when The warriors were without the gates.
the women would stand guard on the bat
Elements Of the Olty with the old men.
Clearly, the women Of Homerio Greece were
far freer and more influential than their sue
Oessors Of the historical period. That the
Athenian historian T~hucydides names no
woman 10 q well known fact. The Spartan
women, indeed, OF the fifth century b. C.. had
a good deal OF freedom. but in the true family
life they do not seem to have been nearly
90 influential and important as the Ho-
meric women. The position Of woman, in
fine, In the Homerio age forbids us to be-
ieve that abe was bought and sold in mar
riage, though her father received gifts
from her s~uitors: and Aristotle asserts in
his Politics hat the early Greeks pur-
chased their wives. No one can suppose
that Nsusicas was to be given to the high
est bidder. Indeed, the poet himself relates
that Nausicaa has had many noble suitors.
but hat she mot the father) sights them.
That Homerio women might hold property,
a been inferred from the gifts which
Helen received in Egypt. That in general
the married daughter inherited a share Of
her fathers estate. however, is pronounced
improbable, though no instance to prove
this assertion 10 mentioned by the poet.
There is no doubt that IL he had no son
a father might give the right OF succession
to q daughters husband, thus transmit
ting the throne or property TO his dau ghter's
son.
As FOR tho occupations Of women, most
OF the work within the house was done by
them, and this included not only the care
OF the children. the ordinary Homework
OF modern times and embroidery. but also
much that Is now done by machinery, az
the grinding and pounding OF grain and
the carding. spinning and weaving Of wool
and max. From the labor Of sewing. on the
other hand, women were relieved for the
most part, as is explained in a chapter on
dress, ard probably In general from tina
cooking OF meat as well as most Of the other
cookery OF modern times. Free women
fetched water from the spring. but the |
grinding OF grain and the csrding OF wool
we're relegated to female slaves. On the
other hand. spinning. weaving and en-
broidery were occupations for -princesses
gOddesses. Whether free women
served as sh~epherdesses is uncertain: They
seem TO ave done 30 in the time Of Daphnis |
and Chloe. and VIGOROUSLY have done so
modern Greece. though they are now
generally more secluded than their mothers
we're in HOmer's time. I
The amusements and r~ecreations OF
in Homer's time we're doubtless |
unlike those OF women in modern
The life Of the former was simple. |
They had few social events They met. |
lowever. at the harvest homes. at vintage
and at marriage feasts as we'll as
oy the washing troughs and near the river
tide. The maidens danced then az now
md with young men. though for the most
part the two sexes would constitute diff
'erent groups. Gree sings as she plies
Ter loom. and the songs of the Sirens and
" the MUSES. are familiar. Women showed
heir gift OF t~unefulness also by singing
Urges, though on such occasions men
be called in as the leaders OF the
'ong.
Were Homer's women blondes or bru-
lettes! The question cannot be answered
With certainty. The most frequent epithet
lpplied to women is fair tressed.' but the
means comedy. shapely. attrac-
rather han blond. For example
women are called -fair checked" well
and fair ankled.' Athena is
ermed cleaning eyed nearly a hundred /
ines. and Hera is white armed" and sox
'yed.' Ach@a, Hellas and Sparta are
aid to abound in fair women" The |
Ocks OF Achilles. Menelaus and Odysseus
re- "tawny.' but only one woman receives
his epithet. and no woman or goddess is
aid TO have golden hair. It is true that
epithet golden is once given to
lphrodite. but probably from her golden
Tnaments, just "a Ares is called brazen
rom his armOr.
or children Homer says little. The in
ant son Of Hector and Andromache is the
My child who appears directly in the 40
ion OF the poems. He is described as
merry hearted" and 10 Iikened to "a fair
A mothers care in keeping a fly
rom her ~slumbering infant serves as a
Omparison for the care of Athena for
when she wards on an arrow
a vital part OF his body. Prof. Sey-
lour points out that no example is found
n Homer Of the exposure" Of infants.
was legal long afterward in Sparta,
1ough Hephsestus says that his mother.
EZRA. desired to conceal him because he
as lame. Two words are used in the