e slaves, the helots. Aristotle suggested some wives had power beyond household affairs. Since men were in the military, the women had full authority over their households and were not forced into a life of only childbearing and housekeeping like the Athenian woman. Spartan women generally lived an outdoor life, wrestling, boxing, and racing, for example. The state believed athletic women would produce strong, healthy sons for the army. Because the woman of Sparta exemplified a greater political and authoritative influence, the nation thrived and became a world leader. When Athenian girls came of age, their fathers offered them for marriage. Even as wives, they were required to stay indoor at all times. Their primary life tasks were child rearing, housework, and sewing. The publics contempt for woman in Athens is well represented in Pericles Funeral Oration, in which several references are made to the equality and justice of Athenian life. Knowing that the women in Athens shared no rights with the masculine race, it is clearly seen how they are not even included in reference to the Athenian people as a whole.The United States view of women is much closer to that of the Spartans rather than the Athenians. Though women of Sparta still could not vote, their lives were not as wrongfully restricted as those of Athens. The women of America shape our nation just as the ancient women did, whether it was for better or worse. In Sparta, marriage was not an answer to social needs, but more of the basis for a stronger family foundation. All emphasis was put on raising and educating the children, just as many wish to see in America. For the most part, families in America are directly associated with children and their significance to our nation.Many aspects of these ancient societies can still be seen in some of todays present cultures. The United States, for instance, since 1776 has strived to serve the best interest of the nation th...
