Patriarchy in Polytheism

Hope Jensen

  To speak of Ancient Greece is to speak of a patriarchal society that subjugated their women citizens in order to maintain a social hierarchy with men at the top. However, the importance of women did exist, and in order to show the creation of an empire, women must be a part of the narrative. Women are the foundation for the polytheistic theology that surrounded Greek culture and, therefore, a cornerstone for the creation of the Empire. Through theology, women were allowed divine role models with divine agency as well as the ability to influence the culture they lived in as a whole without being able to have a public presence. 

   In Hesiod’s Theogony, Hesiod states that there are many female deities involved in the genesis of the universe. Hesiod states Gaia was one of the first beings to come into existence and is the mother of almost all of the material world. Hesiod states, “In the beginning there was always Chaos, the Abyss, But then Gaia, the Earth, came into being, Her broad bosom the ever-firm foundation for all.” As one who takes a patriarchal lens when viewing society, Hesiod also recognizes that the foundation of all of the human material world was created by a female deity. Hesiod speaks of other primordial goddesses who are also crucial parts of humanity’s lives. Hesiod speaks of “Night, pregnant after sweet intercourse with Erebos, gave birth to Aether and Day.” Female goddesses control some of the most vital points of human existence, and if women were so held in such low esteem, then the theology of their society would reflect that. Hesiod also makes a point of mentioning this in his Works and Days. He states, “Pray to the Zeus Below and Chaste Demeter that Demeter’s sacred grain grow ripe and bow with heaviness.” Hesiod places Demeter in the same sentence as Zeus, the King of Gods, and thus shows her status as a powerful goddess and someone who has control in the daily lives of mortals as the goddess of agriculture. 

   Hesiod also presents all of his work by first thanking the muses for his ability to write, as they were considered the patron goddesses of the arts. He begins in his Theogony by saying, “Such is the Muses’ sacred gift to men. For though it is singers and lyre players that come from the Muses and far-shooting Apollo.” Hesiod, an educated man capable of having his works presented in public and recognized for that work, acknowledges that the skills that made this possible only exist through the divine intervention of these female deities. While this is the work of a man, Hesiod clearly defers to the female deities who allowed him to do this in the first place in order not to offend them. He begins his work by writing that even though men were the most prominent writers of the time, their ability to write, orate, and sing would not be possible without the role of women in their poly-theological understanding of the world. Female goddesses are to be respected and feared as much as their male counterparts, as they, too, have the ability to take away any luck or skill that they have given to mortals. The deliberate point of mentioning the muses at the beginning of the work is no accident; rather, it is a clear sign of his respect for their power and influence in the culture of Ancient Greece. Therefore, women are the foundation of all culture in their society since without them. There would be no development of culture such as music, poetry, writing, or history as well as many others. 

   The role of women extends outside of purely theological stories and extends into the popular history of the time, which cannot be extrapolated from theology. This can clearly be seen in the play by Euripides, The Trojan Women. The story of the Trojan War is not without the influence of the gods; in fact, it is one of the main drivers of the plot, and one could argue that the meddling of the gods is one of the reasons the Trojan War began in the first place. In the play, this fictionalized version of Athena—as this is a representation of Ancient Greek deities and theology, but it is not a theological document in itself—has to ask permission in order to speak with Poseidon regarding the Trojan War. She says when speaking to him, “Am I permitted to speak to one who is so closely related to my father, a great divinity, honoured among the gods, now that I have laid aside my former enmity?” There could be the interpretation that Athena, as a female goddess, had to ask for permission in order to have a conversation with Poseidon, and this interpretation may be correct. However, Poseidon and Athena had a tumultuous relationship. During the Trojan War, both actively sought to destroy the other’s favored mortal, and the most well-known occurrence of this would be Athena’s favored Odysseus being thwarted by Poseidon on his journey home. Also, as the dialogue continues, Athena says, “I want to bring joy to the Trojans who were previously my enemies and give the Achaeans a bitter journey home.” To which later Poseidon responds by saying, “For my part I am ready to help with what you want.” Therefore, Poseidon actively listened to what Athena was willing to say and agreed to work with her in humbling the Achaean army. If Athena, as a female goddess, were not respected, then she would not have someone she actively has a rivalry with willing to assist her. Also, this is not a theological text but a play based on a historical myth, leaving Euripides with liberty as to how he presents his characters, divine or otherwise. The plays of the time often reflected the values that existed in the outside culture. While Athena was deferring to Poseidon at specific points, she still had personal agency, and by flattering Poseidon, she was able to get what she wanted. This, perhaps, is a subtle way of saying that women, while not having public influence and having to follow stricter societal rules, still have ways that they can work in the system in order to achieve their goals. 

   To conclude, Ancient Greece relied on a traditional, patriarchal social hierarchy that allowed men to maintain public lives while women remained at home with little social influence. However, it is clear that the role of women cannot be reduced due to women being well-respected members of the Panhellenic gods who governed daily life. These female deities, like all gods, are a reflection of daily life in Ancient Greece and still have influence over the world around them in both open or subtle ways, whether it being the changing of the seasons or other natural processes or their history that shaped the narrative of each city-state. The gods served as a guide for the Greeks on how to best live their lives. Therefore, the goddesses served as a guide on how to work within the traditional social hierarchy and have an influence on society even as a mortal.

Bibliography 

Euripides. “The Trojan Women.” Essay. In Euripides: Hecuba, Trojan Women, Andromache, Trans. by James Morwood, 39–147. Oxford University Press, 2000. 

Hesiod, “Theogony” in Anthology of Classical Myth: Primary Sources in Translation, Trans. Stephen Brunet, R. Scott Smith, Stephen M Trzaskoma. (Hackett Publishing Company Inc., 2004.) 129-161.

Hesiod. Works and Days. Trans. by Alicia Elsbeth Stallings. United Kingdom: Penguin Books, 2018.