Xenophon and Aristophanes

In Grecian auberge wo workforce had detailed break over their lives. A save wanted to be up to(p) to contain his married charwoman so she would become his brookhold as he precept fit, so she did non damage his reputation, and so he knew the paternity of his children. A maintain wanted the miss to be tight controlled by her catch to begin with she marry for the same reasons. Aristophanes comedies and Xenophons Oeconomicus contain in truth different depictions of a Greek citizen chars life before she is unify and during the time shortly later she is remove married. much or less(prenominal) the comedies and Oeconomicus examine how girls were educated, how well-nigh unemotional they were in their fathers ho go forhold, and their willingness to grass their economizes. In Oeconomicus, Xenophon wrote ab away the stark(a)ion girl, merely she was magnified in the direction of perfection. In the comedies, however, some the female reputations were al close to the exact turn somewhat of the girl in Oeconomicus.Even though ideas about how girls were increase and how they be defyd after they were married be genuinely different in Oeconomicus and in Aristophanes comedies, both sets of ideas get at a maintains propensity for his wife to contain been intimately controlled by her father, and accordingly by him. Aristophanes and Xenophon illustrate this swear by presenting the ideal characteristics of a wife and the characteristics hands fear. They alike use burlesque to make the distinction between the true wife and the undesir satisfactory wife steady clearer.Because saves wanted their wives to be controlled depression by their fathers, and then by them, women spent their consummate lives low the control of men. There was likewise a large difference between how closely restrained by her father Ischomachoss wife was, compared to the girls in the comedies. Girls were non single guard to keep them from nurture too much, but they were also guarded to keep them away from men so they would not have sex with or be raped by them.Because if a girl was, and after marriage her conserve found out, he would be shy(p) of the paternity of his children. Ischomachoss wife had antecedently lived under diligent supervision in roll that she might see and attempt as little as achievable (Oeconomicus, VII, 5). She obviously did not set aside her house much if her family was making an attempt to have her see and hear as little as likely. Because she was supervised that closely, even if she did go out her house she wouldnt have had a get hold to get into trouble because at that place would be someone with her or watch her.In Women at the Thesmophoria, the Kinsman portrayed a female character who was obviously not guarded closely, I had a chap, whod deflowered me when I was only if vii (Women at the Thesmophoria, 503). If a man was able to get to the Kinsmans character when she was only sevensome she was not world watch closely. life history the person who deflowered her, her clotheshorse, implies that this was not a exclusive instance of negligence on constituent of her guardian it implies that she was not being watched closely enough to prevent her boyfriend from act to see her.Ischomachoss wife reflects the ideal for Greek husbands. Because her father so closely controlled her, she would not have had an prospect to do any liaison that would c in all the paternity of her future husbands children into question. The Kinsmans character is a depiction of a girl that shows mens fears about how their wives might have been raised. She is completely out of the control of her father, so when she marries, her husband will have no idea if she is all ready pregnant.It is credibly that how closely or loosely these characters were guarded is an exaggeration. Although Ischomachoss wife probably was guarded as closely as possible, her unimagined ignorance implies that she was guarded mor e closely then was achievable. The Kinsmans character is probably also an exaggeration. Although there probably were some girls who were deflowered when they were really young, it seems unconvincing that she would have had a boyfriend at the age of seven.The exaggeration only makes the ideal of a fathers control more clear. In Ischomachoss wifes extreme fact there is almost no chance that she was pregnant with different mans child when she married, but in the field of study of the Kinsman it would be surprising if she was not all ready pregnant. In order for a husband to be able to control his wife easily and so he would be able to teach her how he wanted her to firing off his household, girls were supposed to be kept as ignorant as possible before marriage.Ischomachoss wife is an example of this ideal. He says that she had previously lived under diligent supervision in order that she might see and hear as little as possible and have the fewest questions as possible (Oecono micus, VII, 5). In Lysistrata an opposite view of the education of girls is presented. A let out of women spoke about their convey in several different unearthly ceremonies and festivals. They use what they erudite in the festivals to cut well-favoured the polis advice. We want to start by offering the polis some good advice and rightly, for she raised me in splendid luxury. As presently as I turned seven I was an Arrephoros then a molar when I was then I withdraw my saffron robe for the Foundress at the Brauronia. And at once, when I was a beautiful girl, I carried the ring wearing a necklace of dried figs (Lysistrata, 669). Because they use their understand in ghostly ceremonies as a qualification, they believe they have learned from these experiences.The contrast between Oeconomicus and Lysistrata is striking in that Ischomachoss wife was kept photographic plate and an attempt was made to teach her as little as possible, while the girls in the let out left home for all-encompassing periods of time and apparent(a)ly learned from their experiences. The experience of both Ischomachoss wife and the chorus girls is an exaggeration of what is possible in reality. Ischomachos seemed to think of his wife did not have it away anything he did not teach her.When she made a mistake, such as when she cannot find something that Ischomachos asks for, he took full responsibility for it because if he had not taught it to her she could not be expected to deal it. But you are not at fault in this, rather I am, since I handed over these things to you without giving orders as to where each kind of thing should be put so that you would know where to put them and where to find them again (Oeconomicus, VIII, 2). The appoint of religious festivals given by the chorus as evidence of their education contains table service in five separate religious rites.This list of religious service is the most prestigious any Athenian woman could boast (Lysistrata 669, note 1 38). Some of the rites were only open to girls from the noblest Athenian families (Lysistrata 670, note 139). It seems unlikely that many girls, if any, would have had the experience that the girls in the chorus listed. So the experiences of girls in Lysistrata are exaggerated to make the girls appear more knowledgeable than they probably would be, and in Oeconomicus the girl is more ignorant than seems possible.The exaggeration illustrates why men wanted ignorant girls. Ischomachoss wife is incredibly ignorant and is very(prenominal) easy to control. She does exactly what her husband tells her to do, once instructed. This contrasts with the women in Lysistrata who have an unusual beat of experience outside of their homes. The womens experience, in part, contributed to their attempt to take over the polis. A wife who attempted to deceive her husband was very frightening for Greek men because men spent a bully deal of their time away from home.When a husband was gone, his wife wou ld have the opportunity to do things that would damage his reputation and omen the paternity of his children into question. A husband could not really control his wife, if he could not trust that she was doing exactly what she said she was doing. In the Oeconomicus there is an example of a wife deceiving her husband that seems very benign. All Ischomachoss wife did was put on makeup, but when he sees her with a painted face, he tells her that she should not wear makeup because it is a form of deception. Such deceits may in some way deceive outsiders and go undetected, but when those who are always in concert try to deceive one another they are necessarily found out (Oeconomicus X, 8). It seems like he is not mediocre lecturing her about putting on makeup, but also about other kinds of deception. Of course after Ischomachoss lecture, she neer did anything of that sort again (Oeconomicus X, 9). The Kinsmans character not only lied to her husband only three days after they were marr ied, but she lied so she could leave the house to have sex with her boyfriend (Women at the Thesmophoria, 504).Her actions could damage her husbands reputation, and would call the paternity of his children into question. Her actions seem to be as bad as possible from the husbands perspective. These actions are a demonstration of mens fears about what their wives might do if they were willing and able to deceive their husbands. The Kinsmans actions are a desolate contrast with Ischomachoss wife, who after being corrected, never again deceived her husband. Because she was unwilling to deceive her husband, and therefore easy to control, she was an example of the perfect wife.Although Xenophon and Aristophanes were a part of the same indian lodge and wrote about Greek mens need for their wives to be closely controlled before and after marriage, they explored this desire in very different ways. Xenophon used it to write a text that gave men advice about what to estimate for in a perf ect wife, and how to look at her after they were married. However, Aristophanes was writing comedies so he exaggerated undesired characteristics to create the blister possible wives for comic effect.When both Aristophanes and Xenophons works are examined to see how a fathers control over his daughter and the characteristics that make it easier for a husband to control his wife are portrayed, it becomes apparent that Aristophanes and Xenophon were writing about the same desire Greek men had for their wives to be controlled first by their fathers and then by their husbands. This control was meant to ensure a properly run household, an intact reputation, and undisputed paternity. Because of this desire for control, when Greek women came of age, they passed from the control of their fathers to their husbands.