Description
Although an outsider might consider the highly militaristic society of Sparta to be fiercely patriarchal, the reality was somewhat different. Mothers were honoured due to their essential role in producing its male warriors. Also, unusually for the time, marriage dowries were espoused in favour of matches based on personality and physique, rather than property and wealth. This was because the physical fitness of parents was considered paramount in assuring the health of their offspring. Spartan women were, like men, trained for physical agility from a young age, and married later in life as a result. Furthermore, wives did not perform domestic chores, instead dedicating themselves to training, childbearing and supervision of the enslaved Helots, who did all the physical labour at home and on the land. As up to half the male population were away fighting at any one time, this supervision was not limited to the household and fields; women had an active role in the day-to-day running of the city too.
