Question

How did the attitudes toward women living in Classical Rome differ from women in Classical Greece?

Answer 1

Answer:

C) Roman women could occupy the office and even serve as empresses, while Greek women were prohibited from any public function.

Explanation:

In Classical Rome, high-class women, though uncommon, could hold political positions, and could become empresses by marrying an emperor. Women born in Rome and daughters of Roman parents were considered citizens. On the other hand, women of Classical Greece were considered inferior and could not occupy public office. The Greek woman had the role of obeying her husband and having children.

Answer 2

Answer:

B: Roman women had some legal rights and were able to attend public events whereas Greek women were more secluded.

Explanation:

In Greece, there was a contrast between two prominent city-states, Athens and Sparta. Athens did not look upon women as Sparta did. While Athens women were considered lower than slaves, Spartan women were independent and could even own property. Apart from those two cities, Greek women in general did not have any political clout. Married women could have some opinion over their husbands’ political views but they did not have any rights such as vote or hold political office. In fact, it was considered improper for a woman to discuss politics in a public setting. In most city-states, women were accompanied wherever they had to go; their main role was to give birth to children, particularly to male.

Roman women could shop, speak with friends, and visit temples without asking their husband for permission. During the years that Rome was an Empire, women gained more freedom and it was legal for women to own land, run businesses, free slaves, make wills, inherit wealth, and get paid jobs. In ancient Rome, only free adult men were citizens. Although women were not citizens of ancient Rome, they enjoyed a great deal more freedom than did women in ancient Greece.

In Rome

In general, Roman women enjoyed more freedom than women in Classical Athens.