Homes in ancient Greece typically had a central courtyard where children played. Houses were made of sun-dried brick and tile roofs, with dirt floors. They contained separate areas for men and women, including an andron room for male guests. Furniture was sparse. Food was cooked outside or with portable hearths. Bathrooms consisted of chamber pots. Women's roles focused on household duties while raising families, though Spartan women had more freedoms than elsewhere in Greece.
2. Homes
Most homes in ancient Greece had a
courtyard, which was the center of
activity. Children could safely play outside
in the warm climate. Homes were divided
into areas for the men and areas for the
women. The Andron was a room reserved
for males to entertain male guests. The
room had a separate entrance to the
street so male guests did not have to cross
paths with any of the ladies of the house.
4. Houses were made out of sun-dried brick
on a foundation of stones. Sun-dried brick
was not a dependable material and
often crumbled. Burglars were termed
“wall piercers” because they broke
through the walls to gain entry into
homes. Roofs were made of overlapping
clay tiles. Andron room floors were
sometimes tiled, but the flooring of the
rest of the rooms was packed dirt.
5. The Throne Room was a chamber built for ceremonial purposes
during the 15th century BC inside the palatial complex of
Knossos, Crete, in Greece. It is still there today and is considered
the oldest throne room in Europe.[1]
6. The Greeks had a very limited amount of
furniture in their houses. The rooms were
relatively bare by today’s standards.
Wooden chairs, couches and stools were
typical.
7. Food was cooked outside during most of
the year. When the weather was not
conducive to cooking outside, a hearth or
brazier was used in the kitchen. Kitchens
were built with a hole in the roof so that
smoke could escape.
8.
9. Houses had one or two private rooms.
Bathrooms consisted of a chamber pot, which
was dumped into a gutter or into the street.
The head of each household was the
husband. It was the woman’s role to
complete the daily chores and raise children.
Often large families included the parents and
children, grandparents, unwed female
relatives, and slaves all under the same roof.
10. Roles of Men and Women in
Ancient Greece
Men had the dominant role in public life in ancient
Greece. They were engaged in politics and public
events, while women were often encouraged to
stay in the home. When men entertained, their
wives were not invited to the dinner. The Olympic
Games were for males only, while in another part
of Olympia, the women had a small event of their
own in honor of Hera. In Athens, pale skin was in
style for women, showing that they were wealthy
enough to stay inside. Also in Athens, only the very
poor woman was found at the agora without a
male escort.
12. Women in Ancient Greece
Women in most city-states of ancient
Greece had very few rights. They were
under the control and protection of their
father, husband, or a male relative for
their entire lives. Women had no role in
politics. Women with any wealth did not
work. They stayed indoors running their
households. The only public job of
importance for a woman was as a
religious priestess.
13. Sparta was different from
Athens
In Sparta, men stayed in barracks until they
were thirty. Since Spartan women did not
have this restriction, they had more freedoms
and responsibilities in public life. They were
able to go out in public unescorted,
participate in athletic contests, and inherit
land. In the fourth century, over two-fifths of
the land in Sparta was owned by women. In
Athens, the law required all inheritances to go
through the male line and limited property
that could be owned by women.
14. It was the wives who supervised the slaves
and managed the household responsibilities,
such as weaving and cooking. In affluent
homes, women had a completely separate
area of the house where men were not
permitted. In the homes of the poor, separate
areas were not available. Poor women often
worked outside the home, assisting their
husbands at the market or at some other job.
Poorer women often went to the market
without a male escort.
