For some reason I had this idea in my head that Athenian women had more power than other anicient women. I had an idea that they had more say in what was done and had more freedom with their lives. However, after reading the commentary on Athenian Women, I realize that I was dead wrong. They were more repressed than most other women. Their lives were made harder by the fact that many male Athenians were misogynists and wanted as little contact with women as possible. It makes me wonder what the women thought about their situation. I think they probably didn't realize their repression and were just happy to be provided for and to have their children provided for.
This fact made me enjoy the character of Lysistra even more than I already did. She is a strong female character who knows what she wants and exactly how she is going get it. She is interesting and funny. As Sarah Ruden says in her preface "She is just wonderful to have around, comforting and inspiriting as well as entertaining, a Joan of Arc you can go to a bar with."
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