Women From History BOT~ Women in Sparta, part I ~ <br>
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Spartan women had more rights and enjoyed greater autonomy than women in any other Greek city-state of the Classical Period (5th-4th centuries BCE). Women could inherit property, own land, make business transactions, and were better educated than women in ancient Greece in general. Unlike Athens, where women were considered second-class citizens, Spartan women were said to rule their men.<br>
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Aristotle, who spent most of his adult life in Athens, criticized the independence and influence of Spartan women in his Politics, claiming that women’s autonomy in Sparta was responsible for its decline. But the equality of the sexes in Sparta actually made the city-state stronger and more efficiently run than others.<br>
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The laws of Sparta were reformed by the king Lycurgus (l. c. 9th century BCE) and emphasized equality among all citizens. Girls were given the same physical fitness regimen as boys and were educated at the same level at home (while boys would attend a public school). The subjugated class of people known as helots took care of menial labor, allowing a female Spartan to concentrate on what Lycurgus believed their most important role: motherhood. Spartan women were famously proud of their children who were expected to honor the city-state through virtuous behavior. At the same time, women had the responsibility of running the farm or estate, managing finances, and operating businesses as the men were frequently away at war.<br>
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The purpose of sex within marriage was to create strong, healthy children, but women were allowed to take male lovers to accomplish this same end. Same-sex relationships among men and women were for pleasure and personal fulfillment. These relationships were regarded as natural as long as both parties had consented. <br>
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Painting : A spartan woman giving a shield to her son, by Jean-Jacques-François Le Barbier<br>
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