4.24 Children in Ancient Greece

The children who grew up in ancient Greece had some things in common with kids today. Come learn about life in ancient Greece, what school was like, what games they played, and some other cool facts about kids back then.

Growing Up Greek

Imagine you’re sitting in school in ancient Greece. Your teacher tells you to take notes, but instead of pulling out a notebook with paper, you take out a wood board covered in a thin coating of wax. Then you grab a wooden pen so you can scratch your notes onto the wax board.

And while younger kids wrote on the wax boards, older kids wrote on things such as pieces of broken terracotta, like the clay pots your mom plants flowers in. They used pens made of hollow grass dipped in ink because they couldn’t go to the store and buy plastic pens.

Today, everyone has to go to school. But if you went to school in ancient Greece, you would find only boys! Greek boys and girls weren’t treated the same and Greek girls didn’t even get to go to school!

1. Main points:

In ancient Greece, students used wax boards and wooden pens for note-taking, while older students wrote on terracotta pieces with pens made from hollow grass. Education was exclusive to boys, as girls did not attend school and were not treated equally.

2. Questions:

• Content Analysis: What materials did ancient Greek students use for writing?
• Socio-cultural Analysis: How were boys and girls treated differently in terms of education in ancient Greece?
• Contextual Analysis: What were the differences in writing tools between younger and older students in ancient Greek schools?

3. Further Discussion:

• How do you think the educational practices of ancient Greece have influenced modern education systems?

4. Answers:

• Content Analysis: "You take out a wood board covered in a thin coating of wax… Wooden pen… Older kids wrote on pieces of broken terracotta… Pens made of hollow grass dipped in ink."
• Socio-cultural Analysis: "If you went to school in ancient Greece, you would find only boys! Greek boys and girls weren’t treated the same and Greek girls didn’t even get to go to school!"
• Contextual Analysis: "Younger kids wrote on the wax boards, older kids wrote on things such as pieces of broken terracotta."

Greek Girls

From the time they were born, Greek girls stayed with their mothers. Sometimes, their mothers would teach them how to read and write, but helping take care of the house and learning how to be a good mother was more important in ancient Greece.

When you complain about having to clean your room, be glad you weren’t an ancient Greek girl! They spun thread and wove cloth, cooked, took care of other children, and even worked hard in the fields.

Spinning thread

You might have a party to celebrate your birthday, but when Greek girls were about 12 to 16 years old, they would be married to a man their dad chose. They would then go to live with their husband and spent almost all of their time in the house taking care of children and doing chores.

1. Main points:

Greek girls were raised to focus on household duties and motherhood, with some learning to read and write. Their tasks included spinning thread, weaving, cooking, childcare, and fieldwork. Marriage, typically arranged by their fathers, occurred around ages 12 to 16, after which they dedicated their lives to domestic responsibilities.

2. Questions:

• Socio-cultural Analysis: What were the primary responsibilities and roles of Greek girls in ancient Greece?
• Contextual Analysis: How did the upbringing of Greek girls prepare them for their future roles in society?
• Thematic Analysis: What was the significance of arranged marriages for Greek girls, and how did it affect their lives?

3. Further Discussion:

• How do you think the early marriage and domestic responsibilities of Greek girls impacted their personal development and opportunities?

4. Answers:

• Socio-cultural Analysis: "Greek girls stayed with their mothers… Helping take care of the house and learning how to be a good mother was more important… They spun thread and wove cloth, cooked, took care of other children, and even worked hard in the fields."
• Contextual Analysis: "Sometimes, their mothers would teach them how to read and write, but… Learning how to be a good mother was more important."
• Thematic Analysis: "When Greek girls were about 12 to 16 years old, they would be married to a man their dad chose… They would then go to live with their husband and spent almost all of their time in the house taking care of children and doing chores."

Greek Boys

Boys in ancient Greece, just like girls, stayed with their mothers when they were little. But when they turned seven, they went to school and learned about a lot of the same things you do. Boys with wealthy parents got better educations that boys with poor parents.

They had to practice math, including multiplication and division, as well as learn to how to read and write. They had music class and P.E. Greek boys shot bows and arrows, wrestled, and some even learned to ride horses.

When boys turned 14, they went to a different school for older kids, the way you move from elementary to middle school. At the age of 18, they went to military school and then graduated by the time they were 20.

1. Main points:

In ancient Greece, boys stayed with their mothers until age seven, then attended school where they learned math, reading, writing, music, and physical education. Wealthier boys received better education. At 14, they moved to a higher-level school, and at 18, they joined military school, graduating at 20.

2. Questions:

• Socio-cultural Analysis: How did the education of boys in ancient Greece differ based on their family’s wealth?
• Content Analysis: What subjects were included in the education of ancient Greek boys?
• Contextual Analysis: What were the stages of education for boys in ancient Greece, and how did it prepare them for adulthood?

3. Further Discussion:

• How do you think the focus on military training in education influenced the development of boys into men in ancient Greek society?

4. Answers:

• Socio-cultural Analysis: "Boys with wealthy parents got better educations than boys with poor parents."
• Content Analysis: "They had to practice math, including multiplication and division, as well as learn to how to read and write. They had music class and P.E… shot bows and arrows, wrestled, and some even learned to ride horses."
• Contextual Analysis: "When they turned seven, they went to school… When boys turned 14, they went to a different school for older kids… At the age of 18, they went to military school and then graduated by the time they were 20."

Greek Toys and Pets

Just like you, ancient Greek children liked to play games and had toys and pets. One of their favorite toys was knucklebones. They were made out of the ankle bones of animals like goats and each side was worth a certain number, like the dice we use today. Later, the Greeks made copies of the bone shapes out of other materials like clay and metals.

Playing knucklebones

Girls had terracotta dolls whose arms and legs moved, and children played on see-saws like we still have today. They even had spinning tops!

Teracotta doll

Children in ancient Greece children even had pets! Some of their pets included dogs, birds, rabbits, and goats.

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Text：Just like you, ancient Greek children liked to play games and had toys and pets. One of their favorite toys was knucklebones. They were made out of the ankle bones of animals like goats and each side was worth a certain number, like the dice we use today. Later, the Greeks made copies of the bone shapes out of other materials like clay and metals.

Girls had terracotta dolls whose arms and legs moved, and children played on see-saws like we still have today. They even had spinning tops!

Children in ancient Greece even had pets! Some of their pets included dogs, birds, rabbits, and goats.

1. Main points:

Ancient Greek children enjoyed playing games and had various toys, including knucklebones made from animal bones or clay and metals, movable terracotta dolls, see-saws, and spinning tops. They also had pets like dogs, birds, rabbits, and goats.

2. Questions:

• Content Analysis: What were some of the toys and games that ancient Greek children played with?
• Contextual Analysis: How did the materials used for toys in ancient Greece differ from modern toys?
• Thematic Analysis: What types of pets did children in ancient Greece have?

3. Further Discussion:

• How do you think the types of toys and games children played with in ancient Greece influenced their development and learning?

4. Answers:

• Content Analysis: "One of their favorite toys was knucklebones… Girls had terracotta dolls whose arms and legs moved… Children played on see-saws… They even had spinning tops!"
• Contextual Analysis: "They were made out of the ankle bones of animals like goats… Later, the Greeks made copies of the bone shapes out of other materials like clay and metals."
• Thematic Analysis: "Some of their pets included dogs, birds, rabbits, and goats."

Lesson Summary

In ancient Greece, boys went to school when they turned seven, but girls never went to school, instead learning about being a mother and taking care of the house before they got married as teenagers. Boys studied math, reading, and writing, eventually moving on to different schools. Ancient Greek girls and boys had toys like knucklebones, dolls, and even pets.