Skip to topic
    ← Back to course topics

    Women in the home — OCR GCSE Classical Civilisation

    Test yourself on Women in the home with OCR GCSE practice questions.

    Start free

    A week of Premium from your first lesson · Then the free plan continues · No card, no charge

    Women in the home explained

    This topic explores the role of temples in ancient Greek and Roman religion, focusing on their layout, use, and the function of associated officials and rituals.

    Read the full explanation

    It covers specific Greek temples (Parthenon, Temple of Zeus at Olympia) and Roman temples (Temple of Fortuna Virilis, Pantheon), alongside the roles of priests, priestesses, and sacrificial practices.

    What to demonstrate

    1. Understanding of temple layout including the naos/cella and cult statue
    2. Knowledge of the position and function of the altar
    3. Roles and responsibilities of Greek officials (hiereus, hiereia, mantis)
    Show all 7 objectives
    1. Roles and responsibilities of Roman officials (Pontiffs, Pontifex Maximus, Augurs, Vestal Virgins, Haruspex)
    2. Understanding the purpose and process of animal sacrifice
    3. Ability to compare Greek and Roman temple use and religious practices
    4. Knowledge of specific prescribed temples: Parthenon, Temple of Zeus at Olympia, Pantheon, Temple of Fortuna Virilis

    Women in the home exam tips

    Quick Revision Summary (Key Takeaway)

    In OCR GCSE Classical Civilisation, 'Women in the home' examines the domestic roles, legal status, and daily lives of women in ancient Greece and Rome, focusing on sources like Xenophon's Oeconomicus, Aristophanes' Lysistrata, and Roman epitaphs. It highlights how women were largely confined to household management, weaving, and child-rearing, yet their influence and visibility varied by culture and class.

    Topic Overview

    The topic 'Women in the home' is a core component of the OCR GCSE Classical Civilisation specification, focusing on the social and domestic roles of women in ancient Greece and Rome. It requires students to analyse primary sources such as Xenophon's Oeconomicus, Aristophanes' Lysistrata, and Roman epitaphs, as well as archaeological evidence like vase paintings and household artefacts. This topic is crucial for understanding the broader social structures of the ancient world, as it reveals how gender roles were constructed and enforced.

    In Classical Athens, the ideal woman was expected to live a life of seclusion, managing the household (oikos), weaving, and raising children. This is vividly depicted in Xenophon's Oeconomicus, where Ischomachus instructs his young wife on her duties. However, this ideal was not universal; Spartan women enjoyed greater freedom, as they were educated, could own land, and were expected to be physically fit to produce strong offspring. In Rome, the ideal was similar to Athens, with women expected to be 'domestica' – virtuous, loyal, and skilled in wool-working, as praised in funerary inscriptions. Yet, elite Roman women could wield significant influence, as seen in the lives of Livia and Agrippina.

    This topic also intersects with other areas of the course, such as religion (women's roles in cults like the Vestal Virgins), politics (the exclusion of women from citizenship), and literature (the portrayal of women in tragedy and comedy). Understanding the home life of women is essential for evaluating their overall status in society, and it provides a lens through which to examine the values and ideologies of the ancient Greeks and Romans.

    Key Concepts
    • →The oikos: the Greek household as the central unit of economic and social life, with women as its managers.
    • →The ideal of the 'domestica' in Rome: a woman who is virtuous, loyal, and skilled in domestic crafts like spinning and weaving.
    • →Seclusion vs. freedom: the contrast between Athenian women's confinement and Spartan women's relative liberty.
    • →Legal status: women in both cultures were under male guardianship (kyrios in Greece, paterfamilias in Rome) and had no political rights.
    • →Sources: Xenophon's Oeconomicus, Aristophanes' Lysistrata, Roman epitaphs, and vase paintings as evidence for women's roles.
    Marking Points
    • Understanding of temple layout including the naos/cella and cult statue
    • Knowledge of the position and function of the altar
    • Roles and responsibilities of Greek officials (hiereus, hiereia, mantis)
    • Roles and responsibilities of Roman officials (Pontiffs, Pontifex Maximus, Augurs, Vestal Virgins, Haruspex)
    • Understanding the purpose and process of animal sacrifice
    • Ability to compare Greek and Roman temple use and religious practices
    • Knowledge of specific prescribed temples: Parthenon, Temple of Zeus at Olympia, Pantheon, Temple of Fortuna Virilis
    Examiner Tips
    • 💡Ensure you can identify and describe the key features of the prescribed temples
    • 💡Be prepared to compare the role of priests and priestesses in both cultures
    • 💡Use specific terminology (e.g., naos, cella, hiereus, haruspex) accurately
    • 💡Practice linking visual evidence from temple architecture to the literary descriptions of sacrifice
    • 💡Always use specific source references (e.g., Xenophon, Oeconomicus 7-10) to support your points – this shows the examiner you have studied the evidence.
    • 💡When comparing Athens and Sparta, structure your answer with clear paragraphs for each city-state, then a conclusion that links to wider values.
    • 💡For Roman women, remember to discuss both the ideal (epitaphs) and the reality (e.g., Pompeian evidence of women in business) to show nuance.
    Common Mistakes
    • Confusing the roles of specific Greek and Roman religious officials
    • Failing to link the physical layout of the temple to its religious function
    • Generalising religious practices without distinguishing between Greek and Roman contexts
    • Neglecting to use both literary and visual/material evidence in arguments
    • Misconception: All Greek women were treated the same. Correction: Spartan women had more freedom and education than Athenian women, and non-citizen women in Athens had different lives.
    • Misconception: Roman women had no influence. Correction: While legally restricted, elite Roman women like Livia and Agrippina exerted significant political influence, and many women worked in trades.
    • Misconception: Women never left the house. Correction: Women attended religious festivals, fetched water, and visited neighbours, though the ideal was seclusion for respectable Athenian women.
    Revision Plan
    1. 1Week 1: Read and annotate Xenophon's Oeconomicus, focusing on the dialogue between Ischomachus and his wife. Make notes on the ideal duties of a Greek wife.
    2. 2Week 2: Study the role of Spartan women using sources like Aristotle's Politics and Plutarch's Life of Lycurgus. Compare with Athens.
    3. 3Week 3: Analyse Roman epitaphs and the concept of the 'domestica'. Research the lives of elite Roman women like Livia.
    4. 4Week 4: Practice exam questions, focusing on source analysis and comparison. Use past papers and mark schemes to refine your answers.
    Exam Question Types
    • 📋Source-based questions: You will be given a passage from Xenophon or a Roman epitaph and asked to explain what it reveals about women's roles. Tip: Quote directly and infer attitudes.
    • 📋Comparison questions: 'Compare the role of women in Athens and Sparta' – structure your answer with clear points for each city-state.
    • 📋Evaluation questions: 'How far do you agree that women were powerless in the ancient world?' – use evidence to argue both sides and reach a judgement.
    • 📋Short knowledge questions: 'Name two duties of a Greek wife' – be precise and use correct terminology.
    Command Word Expectations (OCR)
    Explain

    Provide a detailed account of a topic, using evidence and examples. For 'Explain the role of women in the home in Athens', you must describe the duties and use sources like Xenophon.

    Compare

    Identify similarities and differences between two things. For 'Compare the role of women in Athens and Sparta', you must give points for each and explicitly state how they are similar or different.

    Evaluate

    Make a judgement based on evidence. For 'Evaluate the extent of women's freedom in the ancient world', you must weigh evidence for and against and reach a balanced conclusion.

    How Students Lose Marks (Examiner Pitfalls)
    Pitfall: Students often assume all Greek women were treated identically, ignoring differences between Athens and Sparta, or between citizen and non-citizen women.
    ❌ Weak Answer (Loses Marks):Women in ancient Greece stayed at home and did weaving.
    Example improved answer:In Classical Athens, citizen women were expected to remain in the private sphere, managing the household (oikos), weaving, and supervising slaves, as Xenophon's Oeconomicus illustrates. However, Spartan women enjoyed more freedom, could own land, and received physical training, as noted by Aristotle. Non-citizen women in Athens, such as metics, worked in markets or as hetairai, so experiences varied significantly.
    Examiner Tip: Always compare and contrast different city-states and social classes. Use specific source references to support your points.
    Pitfall: Students often overlook the Roman ideal of the 'domestica' and the reality of women's public influence, especially in the late Republic and Empire.
    ❌ Weak Answer (Loses Marks):Roman women were completely powerless and never left the house.
    Example improved answer:While Roman women were legally under the control of their fathers or husbands (patria potestas) and expected to manage the household, spin wool, and raise children (as praised in epitaphs like 'she was a good wife, a good mother'), elite women like Livia and Agrippina exercised significant political influence behind the scenes. They could own property, and some ran businesses, as seen in Pompeian graffiti.
    Examiner Tip: Distinguish between legal restrictions and actual social practice. Use examples of influential women to show nuance.
    Step-by-Step Worked Solutions

    Question: Explain how the role of women in the home differed between Classical Athens and Sparta. Use sources in your answer. (6 marks)

    1. 1.Step 1: Identify the key difference: Athenian women were secluded, Spartan women were more public.
    2. 2.Step 2: Use Xenophon's Oeconomicus to describe Athenian ideal of household management and weaving.
    3. 3.Step 3: Use Aristotle or Plutarch to describe Spartan women's physical training and property ownership.
    4. 4.Step 4: Conclude with a summary of how these differences reflect each city-state's values (e.g., Athens valued democracy and male citizenship, Sparta valued military strength).
    Final Answer: Athenian women were confined to the home, managing the oikos and weaving, as Xenophon describes, while Spartan women were educated, owned land, and exercised publicly, as Aristotle notes. This reflects Athens' focus on producing citizen sons and Sparta's need for strong mothers of warriors.

    Question: Using the source below (a Roman epitaph praising a wife), what does it reveal about Roman attitudes to women in the home? (4 marks)

    1. 1.Step 1: Quote the epitaph: 'She was a good wife, a good mother, she spun wool, and was faithful.'
    2. 2.Step 2: Identify the virtues praised: domesticity, fidelity, wool-working.
    3. 3.Step 3: Explain that these virtues reflect the ideal of the 'domestica' – a woman who manages the home and is loyal to her husband.
    4. 4.Step 4: Conclude that Roman society valued women primarily for their roles as wives and mothers, but also for their moral influence.
    Final Answer: The epitaph reveals that Roman society prized women for their domestic skills (spinning wool), fidelity, and role as mother, indicating that the ideal woman was devoted to her household and family.
    Active Recall Memory Test
    What were the main duties of an Athenian wife according to Xenophon?
    Key Fact: She managed the household, supervised slaves, wove cloth, and ensured the storage of goods.
    How did Spartan women's lives differ from Athenian women's?
    Key Fact: Spartan women received physical training, could own land, and had more freedom to move in public, as they were expected to produce strong warriors.
    What is the Roman ideal of the 'domestica'?
    Key Fact: A woman who is virtuous, loyal, and skilled in domestic crafts like spinning and weaving, as praised in epitaphs.
    Name two sources for studying women in the home.
    Key Fact: Xenophon's Oeconomicus and Roman funerary epitaphs.
    Frequently Asked Questions
    Did women in ancient Greece have any rights?
    Women in ancient Greece had very few legal rights. They could not vote, own property (in Athens), or participate in politics. They were under the guardianship of a male relative (kyrios). However, they could participate in religious festivals, and in Sparta they could own land and had more freedom. So, while they were largely excluded from public life, they had some roles in religion and the household.
    What did Roman women do all day?
    Roman women, especially those of the elite class, were expected to manage the household, supervise slaves, spin wool, and raise children. They might also attend social events, religious ceremonies, and visit friends. Some women, particularly freedwomen or those of lower status, worked in shops or as midwives. The ideal was to be a 'domestica', but in practice, many women had varied daily activities.
    How were women portrayed in Greek literature?
    In Greek literature, women were often portrayed as either virtuous and loyal (like Penelope in the Odyssey) or as dangerous and deceptive (like Medea). Tragedies often explored the tension between women's domestic roles and their emotions. In comedy, like Aristophanes' Lysistrata, women are shown as capable of taking action, but often for comedic effect. These portrayals reflect male anxieties about women's power.
    What is the difference between a Greek oikos and a Roman domus?
    The Greek oikos referred to the household as a whole, including the family, slaves, and property, and was the basic unit of society. The Roman domus was the physical house, but also represented the family and its status. Both were centred on the male head of household, but women managed the domestic sphere. The key difference is that the oikos was more of an economic unit, while the domus was also a symbol of social status.
    Why is Xenophon's Oeconomicus important for studying women?
    Xenophon's Oeconomicus is one of the few surviving texts that describes the ideal role of a wife in Classical Athens. It provides a detailed account of how a husband should train his wife to manage the household, including tasks like weaving, supervising slaves, and storing goods. It is invaluable because it shows the expectations placed on women and the importance of the household in Athenian society.
    Did women have any public role in ancient Rome?
    Yes, although women could not vote or hold public office, they could participate in religious cults, such as the Vestal Virgins, and attend public events like games and festivals. Elite women could also influence politics through their husbands and sons, as seen with Livia, the wife of Augustus. Some women ran businesses and owned property, so their public role was limited but not non-existent.

    More OCR GCSE Classical Civilisation topics

    See every OCR GCSE Classical Civilisation topic

    Start free

    Cookies on MasteryMind

    Essential cookies keep you signed in.

    Analytics and advertising cookies stay off unless you accept.

    Read our Privacy Policy.