Women and Ancient Warfare

I promise not to do this often, but I think someone should every now and then. As the only female in the class, I feel responsible for presenting a different viewpoint than some of the male students might have.

First, I am not a psychotic feminist. I believe in gender equality, not the superiority of the female gender. After all, feminism started out as a movement to gain equal rights for females. That’s what it should continue to be.

But that’s not the point of this. My real question is how this class is relevant to women specifically. Clearly this role has changed since the Trojan War, but how? How has society changed so significantly that women have gone from being prizes to fighting soldiers, and what were the “in-between” stages?

The Iliad, though a novel filled with male characters, has its origins in females themselves. The simplest cause of the Trojan War was the quarrel between Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite about who was the “fairest” goddess—a contest which is justifiably seen as vain and associated with women. When Paris gives the apple to Aphrodite, she naturally rewards him with a prize: a woman, Helen of Sparta. The entire story is based around several stereotypical situations: the three women arguing about “silly” vanity, Zeus passing the judgment to Paris instead of getting involved in a “woman’s quarrel,” and the reward of a beautiful woman. Homer was by no means politically correct according to today’s standards, but it is important to remember the time frame in which he wrote.

Throughout the Iliad itself, women continue to be represented in similar ways. As early as Book 1, Agamemnon and Achilles fight over Briseis, a woman claimed as “bounty.” Agamemnon wants Briseis in exchange for Chryseis, another girl, since they must return Chryseis to her father. Briseis and Chryseis themselves really have no choice in the matter, though doubtless they would both prefer to simply go home. By Book 2, Agamemnon regrets their quarrel, lamenting that if only he and Achilles could work together, Troy would fall immediately. Women are represented as distractions and possessions in war, not workers and certainly not able fighters.

Another interesting scene regarding the role of women is in Book 4, when Aphrodite attempts to lure Helen back to Paris after seeing her husband Agamemnon. Helen tries to resist, saying it would be wrong. One threat from Aphrodite, however, is enough to silence her. This, combined with Hera’s and Athena’s roles as warriors, clearly shows that goddesses play a different role in Greek myths than human women. (However, this is not enough to overcome the gods; in Book 1, when Hera provokes Zeus enough to cause a reaction, she becomes “terrified” afterwards.)

Clearly the Greeks did not believe that women were equals in war. Instead, decisions were made for them and they were seen as possessions, distractions, and hindrances meant to be left at home; they were not fighters or even contributors to a war effort. Today, women fight in the military, and might even be drafted someday.