Preview

Role of Women in Hesiod’s Theogony and Works and Days

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
736 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Role of Women in Hesiod’s Theogony and Works and Days
14040833
Price
Mythology 1060
17 February 2013
Role of Women in Hesiod’s Theogony and Works and Days
In most Greek mythology there is a general hostility towards the female sex, which relays that most poets and writers themselves were sexist. Throughout Hesiod’s Theogony and Works and Days, women are portrayed in a very subservient manner, placing them far below men and are almost despised. However, in more than one instance, manipulation, women’s true power, is shown. They are constantly described as beautiful temptresses, which could be thought of as the weakness of many men. When Theogony and Works and Days are looked at as a whole it is obvious that Hesiod’s opinion of women, most likely shared by the Greeks themselves, is that they are inferior and subordinate to men.
While some goddesses are credited for having strength, both mental and physical, and having strong manipulative powers over men, many more are held as mere vessels for carrying the kin of the gods. While Hesiod is describing Zeus’ wives, mistresses and children, it seems that he continues to impregnate numerous goddesses as though he is searching for the perfect genes to make the perfect child, or merely to populate the heavens with his children, all of whom have a different purpose or power. The majority of the text relays the feeling of women being inferior to men; however, their power is still recognized and almost feared.
Women’s power is portrayed in several ways throughout Theogony. One example is the goddess Hecate. It is said that, “she has a share of the privileges of all the gods that were ever born of Earth and Heaven (144).” While she does have an insane amount of power, it was Zeus who deemed her worthy of this power, which implies that he could take it away whenever he feels necessary, still giving him the ultimate power. In another instance, Eros, one of the first gods, also known as desire, has a different type of power. As Hesiod states, “and Eros, loveliest of

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    In ancient Greece, women were virtually invisible to those outside the home and their reputation was best when there was “the least possible talk about you among men, whether in praise or blame” (Thucydides 1.45.2). There was a Greek Proverb that said “a woman knew two great moments of her life: her marriage and her death” (Powell, 40). In ancient Greek culture, women were normally seen as objects for marriage and childbearing and in literature were often depicted with an uncontrollable sexual appetite causing them to lie and scheme. The Pandora myth affirms the gender dynamics of ancient Greek culture. This is shown by the way Hesiod describes Pandora, his attitude toward women, and his opinion about women’s roles and work.…

    • 267 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    During the sixth century BCE, women were given very small roles in the Greek community. The female duties were glorified in literary such as Antigone and The Odyssey. The typical housewife was made to have children and take care of the home while the men worked and fought. Women were given very few rights and didn't have an input in political issues. Women could exercise very little power in Ancient Greece due to literary, social, and political ideals.…

    • 891 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Thousands of years ago, the Goddess was viewed as an autonomous entity worthy of respect from men and women alike. Because of societal changes caused by Eastern influence, a patriarchical system conquered all aspects of life including religion. Today, the loss of a strong female presence in Judeo-Christian beliefs has prompted believers to look to other sources that celebrate the role of women. Goddess religion and feminist spirituality have increasingly been embraced by men and women as an alternative to the patriarchy found in traditional biblical religion.…

    • 1990 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Gods and Goddesses of Greek mythology have gained their fame based on their own roles within Greek culture, and have been attributed to becoming the God or Goddess of a specific concepts, objects, or personal talents. Basing his novel mainly on this idea, Riordan forms a world within the novel, where the behaviors of characters refers to the titles or powers of certain Gods or Goddess. Specifically the Goddesses of Athena and Aphrodite, Riordan steadily allows the put down of Aphrodite and raises Athena on a pedestal. Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love and Beauty, is seen to represent the old fashioned mindset of women as being only figures of physical beauty and having little to no role in society. Shown by Percy’s calm tone and attitude in…

    • 296 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Perhaps the most visible example is that of Dionysus as the ‘stranger’ who visibly is feminine in appearance. Pentheus’ reaction to the stranger seems to be a conflict of hyper-masculinity against – his very first words to the strange are “you are attractive” (Euripides 172.453) followed by a series of complimentary jabs at his masculinity. Pentheus’ seemingly contradictory response to the stranger – part compliment and part disgust – could be seen as a paradox of hyper-masculinity – whilst he denotes the stranger for his effeminate features such as his “fair skin” (456), he does so in a way that could be viewed as sensual as could be inferred from his reference to Aphrodite . In fact, his frequent reverting to concepts of sexuality (especially when relating to the Theban Bacchae) could be argued to indicate a contrast between the supposedly ‘rational’ men and the lustful woman being somewhat inverted to highlight the dangers of attempting to remove the feminine. The cross-dressing chorus may also have served to juxtapose gendered values and the “problematic relationship between the exclusively male community of Athenian citizens and the ‘tribe of women’ who are simultaneously insiders and outsiders”…

    • 1845 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Women In The Iliad

    • 808 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Iliad of Homer, showed women as being items of exchange for the men who had possessed them. They are shown in their social roles as mothers and wives. He states stereotypical characterizations of them. The reader understands that women are being treated as prizes, and that the male hero has to win or he'd have to resist fulfilling his heroic destiny. The characters of Hera and Athena, who are among the immortals, they are certainly strong women. Hera is the wife of Zeus and queen of the Olympians. She tricked her husband so that she is able to play with in the affairs of the Trojan War. The goddess of wisdom, and war, Athena attacked Ares two different occasions and still had to have him flee to Mount Olympus in defeat.…

    • 808 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    This example not only reveals that women transmitted civilization, but that their sexuality and sensitivity had immense power over men. This story shows that men were aware of the power of womenÕs art which transformed even the most wild of men. Women had power as lovers and as mothers. Another such example of the power of women as lovers and nurtures is in the sixth chapter entitled ÔThe ReturnÕ. Gilgamesh had made his journey to the land of Dilmun, in the garden of the sun to see Utnapishtim, the Faraway, to whom the gods granted everlasting…

    • 845 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The literature of this sort of masculine society, of which the Iliad and Odyssey are examples, aptly illustrates these social conventions. The themes of these works are subjects which are of interest to men; warfare, hunting, the problems of the warrior and ruler, and so forth. That which would concern women, such as domestic affairs, is not involved in this literature, or is dealt with only casually. Keeping in mind this important attribute of epic poetry, which is the direct result of its social and intellectual environment, one cannot help noting the great difference between the Odyssey and all other epic poems. No other literary work of this period, or of a similar cultural background, gives such a prominent position to women. No reader of the Odyssey can help having vivid memories of the poem’s outstanding female characters. There are many women in the Odyssey and all of them contribute in mean-ingful ways to the development of the action. Furthermore, they are treated seriously and with respect by the poet, as if there were no difference between his attitude toward them and his feelings toward the chieftains for whom his epic was composed. Among the memorable women in the poem are Nausicaa, the innocent young maiden; Arete, the wise and benevolent queen and mother; Circe and Calypso, the sultry and mysterious temptresses; Penelope, the ideal of marital devotion and fidelity; Helen, the respectable middle-class matron…

    • 896 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Throughout The Epic Of Gilgamesh, the roles of women are mixed. Women are represented as harlots, as wise, and as gods. There is a substantial amount of gods which are represented as women and it could represent a society with multiple views towards women. A society where no definitive set of rules were made for women and perhaps a society more open to a equal perspective. It can easily be seen that while men were considered to be the most powerful and wisest humans and gods, women had the power to significantly influence these men. Several women mentioned and described in the Epic Of Gilgamesh carried roles that had important effects on the men they encountered. Of course, this is not much different from the society we live in today, because while many may believe that women have still not reached the point of true equality, it is hard to say that they are inferior and the significance of their roles in society is undeniable.…

    • 2006 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    While reading the Epic of Gilgamesh, we can clearly see the different roles women played in that time. These women were very diverse, some were considered harlots, others full of wisdom, and some were called gods. Each woman in these stories help the audience to see how important gender roles actually are. Women, as a whole, play a very key role in making this happen. Women start out to seem to be equal to the men in a sense that both genders are “gods." However, the main god happens to be the male. Women are also respected due to the fact that they are able to bear children and reproduce. It is also seen that in terms of physical attraction and sexuality, women are able to have control over the men and somewhat given the upperhand in that…

    • 363 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Within the Hesiod's works, the Theogony and the Works and Days, he made a clear distinction as to what the Greeks saw as valuable in their world. Specifically speaking about gender roles, the strengths and power of men were represented to have been the dominating and valued greatly. Women on the other hand while were not viewed as highly, but they just as important as men in the society. Distinctly, every time a female immortal appeared, Hesiod gave the traits of fertility and cunning intelligence, and to a smaller extent trickery, to be associated with each immortal. Mortal women were given the same treatment as they were essential to the everyday lives of men.…

    • 842 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Athena Role Model

    • 801 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Athena is one of the most well known goddesses from ancient Greece. She is Goddess of Wisdom and of War and is a good example of the template used for our modern day female superhero. Often called a feminist goddess, she is described as strong in both her character and body, independent and fierce, wise and rational. The story of Athena’s birth is well known. Zeus consumed the Titan goddess Metis and began to suffer a headache, Hephaestus then splits Zeus’ head open to relieve the ache and out of the wound sprung Athena. If you look close enough, Athena was born of man and woman asexually, but it was often said, even by Athena herself that she was born only of man. This course of action is a denial of the maternal origin and her mother is never seen in ancient myth as a disrespect. The denial of birth and female power to give birth commandeers this power and creates another layer of patriarchal views on the creation of life in the world. She belongs to only her father and sees herself as his greatest and most trusted heir. She was a part of the world in a way the women of her time were not allowed to be, a goddess of both war and wisdom, when the women in society were seen as irrational and unpredictable by the men around them. But she still remains a beacon of what a perfect women should be in their society, virginal, beautiful and loyally pledged to…

    • 801 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Another female who represents overpowering feminine power is Athena. At first, Athena is the one who convinces Zeus to set free Odysseus from Calypso's grasp. "Athena…answered Zeus… ‘But brave Odysseus' fate does break my heart…are you Olympus' lord not moved my this?'" (Book I) Here, Athena is rivaling the king of Olympus, Zeus, by appealing to his compassionate side. What must be understood is that it is Zeus who caused Odysseus to land on the island after Zeus punished Odysseus' men for eating some of Helios, the sun god's, sacred cattle. For Zeus to sway in decision presents the concept that men are not always sure in themselves as someone in power is supposed to be. The fact that Athena causes…

    • 669 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Women in the Odyssey

    • 1002 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Let us begin with the obvious female powers in the immortal goddesses and nymphs. As far as the Olympian Gods, Athena is by far the most involved, regardless of gender. This is made very clear, for example, we see Telemachus preparing for his journey,…

    • 1002 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hesiod's Analysis

    • 197 Words
    • 1 Page

    As Hesiod explains, from the start, the formation of the first woman was unnatural and monstrous. The gods molded this creature from clay and adored her with untold beauty. They then placed her into the civilized world and as she steps foot both God and men become overpowered by “... the wonders [that] possessed both immortal gods and mortal men, when they saw the thorny deception, irresistible for men.” (Hesiod 42) The female, like all other monsters, is a hybrid with morphological oddities and extraordinary physical powers that threaten Greek society. And since she is not “fully human”, she bridges between the divine powers of the gods and the destructive power of nature. Her formation from the earth, furthermore, goes beyond the boundaries…

    • 197 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays