Identifier: lifeinancientath00tuckuoft (find matches)
Title: Life in ancient Athens, the social and public life of a classical Athenian from day to day
Year: 1907 (1900s)
Authors: Tucker, T. G. (Thomas George), 1859-1946
Subjects: Athens (Greece) -- Social life and customs
Publisher: London Macmillan
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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were kind,- and she might be takenup to the roof of the house to see processions in the streets.Her little brothers played about with her till their seventhyear. She might come in to dessert when dinner was but afamily affair, and her mid-day meal she often took with herparents in the court. As she grows older she receives the domestic instructionbefore mentioned, and the nearer she comes to marriageableage the more regard she must have to modesty of deportment.Theoretically the unmarried girl must not be seen outside themiddle door, which separates the womens quarters from those VIII WOMANS LIFE AND FASHIONS 103 of the more open house. If she goes abroad, it is with someelder female in charge, in order to take part in one of the greatfestive religious processions, or in a funeral ceremony, or to visitsome temple. So far as she is seen of men, it must be on suchoccasions ; and, so far as she herself sees other men than thoseof her immediate family, it must be either then, or when she
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Pig. 41.—Swing. peeps from the window in the upper story or is permitted tolook down from the roof into the street on procession days.There was thus little opportunity among the well-to-do classesfor falling in love, whether at first sight or at any time.Nevertheless such a thing did very occasionally happen; andAthenian youths, it may be remarked, were highly inflammable.To them beauty made strong appeals, and the appeal was notweakened by the sense of difficulty and mystery. Yet, after all, love mattered little so far as the girls future 104 LIFE IN ANCIENT ATHENS chap. was concerned. Let us imagine her to be now of marriageableage, which may be anywhere from fifteen to twenty. We will,for convenience, call her Pasiclea. Pasicleas father or otherguardian—if not her father, her nearest male kinsman—is pre-pared to give her a dowry of certain dimensions, and he is look-ing about for a suitable match. If she has no father, the nearestmale kinsman, provided he is a bachelor himsel

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