20th Annual Student Research Conference
Social Science
The Female Voice in Classical Greece
Alexander J. Hayden
Prof. Martha L. Rose, Faculty Mentor
Pericles delivered his famous Funeral Oration at the Dipylon Gate at the Kerameikos Cemetery at Athens, where I presented my research during the 2006 "Sacred Feminine in Greece" Study Abroad course. In this oration, Pericles' only advice to women was to go home, stay silent, and avoid being the subject of gossip. One can trace the roles of women in the three different communication spheres in the records of Classical Greece. First, the private sphere acted as the woman's domain, but little is known about what took place. Second, within the semi-public sphere, funerals and weddings were performed in which both men and women participated. Finally, the public sphere was predominantly a male domain; here, the female role was limited to religious acts. Most of our information comes from the perspective of men, and all interpretation becomes a cyclical imposition of the male view of women's voices.
Keywords: Classical Greece, Communication sphere, Women & gender roles
Topic(s):Communication
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 32-1
Location: VH 1320
Time: 9:45 am