A glimpse into the real houswives of ancient greece

Ah, Athens. Home of the Parthenon, Socrates, the prototype for inappropriate behavior between trusted males and young boys and sexually frustrated housewives.
Seen as irrational, oversexed and morally defective, women in Athens had limited ability for sexual, intellectual and cultural expansion. The three more common roles for women were wife, Hetairai, meaning a servant for Aphrodite, and the Courtesan.
Some things you could look forward to as an Athenian wife were no physical attention from your husband outside of procreating, a lack of any education, not being allowed to have supper with their husbands, not being allowed outside the house save for exceptions like going to the Agora or marketplace.
Meanwhile if you were a heraitai you were not only educated but privy to political conversation and influence, free to go outside, free to own property, allowed to sit with men at the table and paid for sex. Courtesans were the happy medium; you were paid for your craft but not as highly regarded, educated or influential as a heraitai. Pretty much being a wife was a good way to ensure never having to do homework or put out.*
Bit of an imbalance if you ask me.
The only male attention, relationship and affection most of these women ever experienced was from their sons which, some historians say is where the stereotyping of Mediterranean men as "mamma's boys" comes from.
As a wife your were to be chaste, level headed, adroit at spinning, weaving and tailoring, able to oversee house hold task and be thrifty. You were also expected to "lie" with your husband at least 3 times a month to produce an heir. Romantic.
Because most historic accounts chronicle the lives of the wealthy, one hopes that the lower class wives may have had more equanimity and, goddess willing, more coitus.


*Wives did have some sexual outlet. They got to masturbate. A lot. As a matter of fact the Asia minor coastal city, Miletas, was the manufacturer and exporter of the oliosbos, or dildos, as they are so lumpishly called today, and the Athenian women were the target market. The common treat for the erotic and acquiescent was either a wooden or padded leather penile substitute, sold separately was the olive oil lubricant to wield one of those bad boys.