The History of Women in Athens

There is no surviving ancient testimony by classical Athenian women on their own lives, at least in the traditional manner of written texts. Women could not vote, take part in the political assemblies, or hold public office; they were also not permitted to go to school. While men were referred to by their names in public speeches, women's names were suppressed and only mentioned in terms of their relation to a man. This all was because marriage, conception, childbirth, and the raising of the children were their major concerns.