Penelope, Clytaemestra, Athena, and Helen of Homer’s Odyssey

The Ideal Women of Homer’s Odyssey Ancient Greek society treated women as secondary citizens. Restrictions were placed on the social and domestic actions of many aristocratic women in ancient Athens. The women depicted in Homers Odyssey, on the other hand, are the ideal. Penelope, Clytaemestra, Athena, and Helen are all women with exceptional liberty and power. Before comparing the women of the Odyssey to those of Athens, it is beneficial to take a look into the lives of the latter. A respected woman was to have characteristics including obedience, virtue, refinement, productivity, honor, beauty, talent and intelligence (social consciousness). Sarah B. Pomeroy has studied this aspect of ancient life and†¦show more content†¦The mens quarters were on the lower level, called the andron (Pomeroy 30). This further prevented the women from making any contact with strange men, or men in general. There were far more restrictions placed on the women of the ancient world than on the men. To many, this may appear to be an obvious fact. However, the comparison of women to men in the Odyssey does not show such a discrepancy. The women created by Homer had certain characteristics that set them apart from ordinary women. Penelope was a woman who did not give in to the demands of her surroundings. She suffered throughout the twenty year absence of her husband, Odysseus. She maintained her dignity and her chastity through her refusal of the hoards of suitors that flocked to her home. Penelope represents the ideal woman for balancing her refusals of marriage and the preservation of her respect. When ready to address her suitors, Eurymachus, a suitor himself, speaks out from the crowd in praise of Penelope. He states, Ah, daughter of Icarius, wise Penelope . . . You surpass all women in build and beauty, refined and steady mind (18. 276,280). The acts of Penelope wo uld not have been allowed of an ordinary woman of those times. Her loyalty to Odysseus was unflagging and quite contrary to Clytaemestras loyalty, another character in the Odyssey, though she is never mentioned by name. Clytaemestra is the wife of Agamemnon. She, too must bid farewell to