4.23 Men in Ancient Greece

Explore the lives and roles of men in ancient Greece. Discover the responsibilities and rights of men in their society, the ancient Greek educational system for boys, occupations for men, and what the men of ancient Greece wore.

Men in Ancient Greece

Imagine having the most responsibility in your family. It was your job to take care of your family, provide for your family, make all the decisions for your household, and make sure your home was stable and under control at all times.

Ancient Greek men were the head of their households. Women and children needed to have permission from their husband or father if they wanted to leave the home. This might sound like a lot of extra work, but it was the role of men in ancient Greece.

Along with all the responsibilities, free men also enjoyed a lot of rights and recreational activities. Did you know the Olympics began in ancient Greece? The Olympic games were actually created for free ancient Greek men. Women were not able to participate, but they had a separate gaming event.

Men were also considered citizens, while women, children, and slaves were not. Men were free to entertain and socialize outside of the home. They were also encouraged to venture out, engage in, and host public events, and participate in political happenings. Some of their favorite outdoor activities were hunting and horse riding.

1. Main points:

In ancient Greece, men were the heads of their households, responsible for family care, decision-making, and maintaining stability. They had significant rights, including citizenship and participation in recreational activities like the Olympics. Men enjoyed social and political freedoms, engaging in activities like hunting and horse riding, unlike women, children, and slaves.

2. Questions:

• Socio-cultural Analysis: What were the roles and responsibilities of men in ancient Greek households?
• Contextual Analysis: How did the rights and recreational activities of ancient Greek men differ from those of women and children?
• Thematic Analysis: What were some favorite outdoor activities of ancient Greek men?

3. Further Discussion:

• How do you think the roles and responsibilities of men in ancient Greece influenced their character and societal status?

4. Answers:

• Socio-cultural Analysis: "Ancient Greek men were the head of their households… It was your job to take care of your family, provide for your family, make all the decisions for your household."
• Contextual Analysis: "Free men also enjoyed a lot of rights and recreational activities… The Olympic games were actually created for free ancient Greek men… Women were not able to participate."
• Thematic Analysis: "Some of their favorite outdoor activities were hunting and horse riding."

Ancient Greek Education

What if you did not have to go to school? No homework, no tests, no projects! You might think that would be great, but the children of ancient Greece were happy to go to school! In fact, only boys and those who weren’t poor could attend school. Girls and families that were poor did not go to school, as they learned at home. So, in ancient Greece, it was a privilege to attend school!

In ancient Greek city-states, boys were taught at home until they were about seven years of age. Boys from middle class or wealthy families then entered school for a more formal education. Ancient Greek boys generally learned reading, writing, math, and music. Physical education was also an important subject. Around the age of eighteen, young men were required to join military school to receive training to learn to become warriors.

1. Main points:

In ancient Greece, attending school was a privilege reserved for boys from non-poor families. Education included reading, writing, math, music, and physical education. At around eighteen, boys joined military school for warrior training, highlighting the societal emphasis on education and military preparedness.

2. Questions:

• Socio-cultural Analysis: Who had the privilege of attending school in ancient Greece, and who did not?
• Content Analysis: What subjects were taught in ancient Greek schools?
• Contextual Analysis: At what age did ancient Greek boys begin formal schooling, and what was the purpose of military school?

3. Further Discussion:

• How do you think the education system in ancient Greece shaped the society and its values?

4. Answers:

• Socio-cultural Analysis: "Only boys and those who weren’t poor could attend school. Girls and families that were poor did not go to school, as they learned at home."
• Content Analysis: "Ancient Greek boys generally learned reading, writing, math, and music. Physical education was also an important subject."
• Contextual Analysis: "Boys were taught at home until they were about seven years of age… Around the age of eighteen, young men were required to join military school to receive training to learn to become warriors."

Ancient Greek Occupations

The upper-class and wealthy men of ancient Greece were aristocrats. This meant the government would give ruling power to wealthy, male citizens. Wealthy men of ancient Greece often owned property and land.

The middle-class ancient Greek men were farmers that sold their produce for a living, and those who did not have a lot of money were thetes. Thetes were people of lower income status and were often craftsmen. They did things like making weapons and furniture, or made items out of wood or leather.

1. Main points:

In ancient Greece, the social structure was divided into aristocrats, who were wealthy and had ruling power, middle-class farmers, and thetes, who were lower-income craftsmen involved in trades like weapon and furniture making.

2. Questions:

• Socio-cultural Analysis: What were the different social classes in ancient Greece and their respective roles?
• Content Analysis: What kind of work did thetes do in ancient Greece?
• Contextual Analysis: How did the social class of a person in ancient Greece determine their occupation and status?

3. Further Discussion:

• How do you think the division of social classes affected the daily life and opportunities of individuals in ancient Greece?

4. Answers:

• Socio-cultural Analysis: "The upper-class and wealthy men of ancient Greece were aristocrats… The middle-class ancient Greek men were farmers… those who did not have a lot of money were thetes."
• Content Analysis: "Thetes were people of lower income status and were often craftsmen. They did things like making weapons and furniture, or made items out of wood or leather."
• Contextual Analysis: The social class determined occupation and status, with aristocrats owning property and land, middle-class men farming, and lower-income thetes engaging in craftsmanship.

Ancient Greek Male Clothing

What if you only had one or two articles of clothing to wear each day? Men of ancient Greece did not have a lot of choices for their everyday clothing. Fabric used for clothing was made from linen or wool. Men generally wore a short tunic that was called a chiton. Over the chiton, they wore a loose-fitting wrap called a himation. If they wore shoes, it was usually sandals made of leather.

1. Main points:

Ancient Greek men had limited clothing options, typically wearing a chiton, a short tunic, and a himation, a loose wrap, both made from linen or wool. Their footwear usually consisted of leather sandals.

2. Questions:

• Content Analysis: What were the main types of clothing worn by men in ancient Greece?
• Contextual Analysis: What materials were used for making men’s clothing in ancient Greece?
• Thematic Analysis: How did the simplicity of ancient Greek men’s clothing reflect their lifestyle?

3. Further Discussion:

• How do you think the limited clothing options affected men’s daily life and social interactions in ancient Greece?

4. Answers:

• Content Analysis: "Men generally wore a short tunic that was called a chiton. Over the chiton, they wore a loose-fitting wrap called a himation."
• Contextual Analysis: "Fabric used for clothing was made from linen or wool."
• Thematic Analysis: The simplicity of the clothing, such as the chiton and himation, likely reflected the practical and functional approach to daily life in ancient Greece.

Lesson Summary

All right, let’s now take a moment or two to review. The men of ancient Greece carried significant roles for the Greek culture. They were leaders in their homes and provided for their families. Whether aristocrats (or the upper-class and wealthy men) or thetes (or people of lower income status and were often craftsmen), their jobs were of great importance for daily living. The education, occupations, and even clothing style of ancient Greek men have influenced many cultures of our current day.

Additional Activities

Prompts About Men in Ancient Greece for Kids:

Graphic Organizer Prompt 1:

Create a chart, poster, or some other type of graphic organizer that compares and contrasts the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of ancient Greek men to those of ancient Greek women.

Example: Men could compete in the Olympic Games, while women were not officially allowed to participate.

Graphic Organizer Prompt 2:

Make a chart, poster, or some other type of graphic organizer that lists and describes the main occupations for ancient Greek men. Make sure that your graphic organizer notes what kinds of occupations corresponded with social class.

Example: Upper-class, wealthy ancient Greek men were aristocrats in government.

Essay Prompt:

Write an essay of one paragraph in length that compares and contrasts school for ancient Greek boys and the school you are currently attending. What are the differences? What are the similarities?

Example: Boys in ancient Greece learned at home until around age seven. Nowadays, many children attend preschool and kindergarten before age seven.

Illustration Prompt:

Pretend that you make clothing in ancient Greece and you want to show your prospective male customers what their outfit choices can look like. Draw a male clothing design to show your customers, and also label what each layer of clothing is made of.

Tip: Refer to the image provided in the lesson.