Ancient Greece - Social Life
The Athenian did not turn night into day, but rose at dawn and went early to bed. He made his calls immediately after he took his first meal, which was literally a "breakfast," and nothing more, consisting of a few mouthfuls of bread dipped in wine. At noonday he took a substantial, but not an elaborate meal, for the Athenian was not a glutton.
His dress was simple, although all did not dress exactly in the same style or color. There was little change of fashion either for men or women through all Greek history. The male attire consisted of two articles — tunic and mantle. These were oblong, of woolen material (generally), draped around the body. One or both were worn according to taste, occupation, or the weather. Some wore white, others purple, red, green or black. Yellow was reserved for the women. Often these tunics and mantles were adorned with colored borders, embroidery or stripes. Hats were practically unknown, for they were unnecessary, except when a journey was to be undertaken, when a cap or a hat with a brim was worn. The head was well protected by a fine covering of hair.
In the house the men went barefoot, or wore slippers; outside each could do as he liked. Socrates regularly went barefoot, even in winter. The simplest foot covering was the sandal, which was nothing more than a leather sole held to the foot by a strap, which passed between the big toe and the next and was fastened. to other straps running along the foot and down the heel. But the hunter and the traveler wore boots.
When the Athenian went out in the morning, he usually carried a cane, and wore at least one seal ring, which was for both use and ornament. If he could afford it, he was accompanied by two slaves, to carry his belongings or to run errands. If he was poor, he had to be content with one slave. When he met an acquaintance, he did not bow and shake hands, for to do the former was considered beneath his dignity as a citizen of a free republic, while the latter was reserved for making solemn pledges, or as a demonstrative welcome after a long separation. The usual greeting was "Hail!" or "Glad to see you," or "I hope you are well."
The first place visited was usually the agora, or market. Here the Athenian ladies who could afford to stay at home never appeared. The buying was done by the husband or by slaves. Poor women, however, stood behind the stalls dealing chiefly in bread, figs, vegetables and flowers. The Athenians did not eat much meat, but they had a preference for fish, and the fishmarket was generally crowded when a fresh catch came in. The marketing time was from 9 till 12. During business hours every sociable Athenian spent some of his time in the agora. Often the business that called them there was to employ a professional caterer for a dinner they proposed to give. After this duty was performed each citizen might visit his banker; and between 10 and 11 •he would be ready for a turn in the colonnades, or a visit to the barber shop, or the perfumer's shop, or he might even repair to the shoemaker's, where he knew he would be sure to meet some friends with whom he could discuss die latest news, political questions, or even purely abstract questions, for, as Saint Paul said, the Athenian spent his time in trying to find out some new thing.
The barber trimmed his hair or beard, let him look at himself in a bronze mirror, and then gave him a manicure — for the Athenians were extremely fastidious about the appearance of their hands, as well as the hair and beard. The hair was never cut short, nor allowed to grow long. A closely cropped head was a sure sign of a slave, or a professional athlete, or mayhap a Stoic or Cynic, who tried to flout fashion and public opinion. Sometimes the professional philosopher would wear a long and untrimmed beard for the same reason. Shaving was unusual down to the Macedonian conquest, but no Greek ever wore simply a moustache without a beard. This was a mark of barbarism. The razor used was in shape somewhat like the moon just before it is half full.
From the barber shop the Athenian goes home to lunch. He has no watch to tell him the time of day, but he was accustomed to gauge the time by the sun. Besides, there was no hurry, for a few minutes late or early made no difference. There was a public sun-dial; and in the better houses a large hour glass filled with water instead of sand. There was no formality about social intercourse. If an Athenian happened to meet a friend on his way home, he would extend an oral invitation to come to the dinner he proposed to give that evening or the next; or he would send a slave to carry, not a written note, but a verbal invitation. His dejeuner was taken under the covered portico of the court Then he rested a while, and perhaps read a book; but he did not sleep. Refreshed, he would walk to one of the three public gymnasia: The Lyceum, Cynosarges or Academy.
The gymnasia were open only to men over 18. If he was too. old to engage in the exercises, he might look on, or devote himself to discussion with his comrades. There was an abundance of disputants, jests, sarcastic wit, story telling and sociable conversation. After spending a couple of hours here he would take a bath. Public baths were near every gymnasium. His slave would have his oil-flask and fleshscraper ready for him after the bath, for every Athenian anointed himself with olive oil, mixed with perfume, and scraped his body with a strigil.
When he reached home, he finds that everything is ready for the dinner. His wife and daughters will not put in appearance; they must remain in the gynaeconitis, or women's apartment, for the company is composed of men, whose conversation is above the women's comprehension. The dinner is for social enjoyment — the food is a secondary consideration. The Athenian had a special abhorrence of "swinishness"; his dinner had to be replete with wit, wisdom, jest, anecdote; the main thing was lively society, conversation, mutual entertainment. Couches were brought in for the diners to recline on. These ordinarily accommodated two guests. No objections were raised by the nost to a friend's bringing an intimate acquaintance along uninvited. This practice, so impractical in modern times, brought no trouble or inconvenience to an Athenian host, for there was no long table with a limited supply of chairs, no knives and forks, and the quantity of food mattered little.
When the guests entered, slaves removed their sandals and poured scented water or wine over their feet, whereupon the diners reclined on their left side. Then servants poured water over their hands. Small tables were brought in, one of which was placed before each couch. The food was taken up by the fingers, which were assisted by pieces of hollowed out bread when soft food or gravies had to be dealt with. There were no napkins, in lieu of which the fingers were wiped by pieces of soft bread. These scraps were then thrown to the dogs. There was no carpet on the floor. Shells, bones and peelings were thrown down and swept out by the servants later. The first half of the dinner consisted of substantial: fish, birds, eels, but very little meat (beef, lamb, pork) and vegetables. Water was then carried around for the guests to wash their hands, the tables taken out, the floor swept, and a song sung to the accompaniment of flutes.
After a libation had been poured to the good genius the real symposium began. New tables were brought in. On these were fruits, salted almonds, cheese and salt. Another libation is now poured, after which the guests proceed to elect a symposiarch or president, who determines how much wine is to be drunk, and what the mixture shall be. Usually this was two parts water to one of wine. They had no tea or coffee, only water and wine to drink. Decided disapproval was cast upon drunkenness.
Moderation was the Greek motto. After the slaves mix the wine in a handsome bowl, they dip it out in beautiful jugs, or pitchers, and pour it out into handsome goblets with which each guest is supplied. Adventitious aids to the entertainment such as flute girls, dancing girls, buffoons and acrobats, were usually discarded for conversation pure and simple. But the lyre would be passed around and each guest would be expected to sing some famous song from Euripides, or Simonides, or Anacrcon. At the tables are keen wits, quick at repartee, eager for debate, always ready to support some thesis, even though it be a whimsical paradox. Riddles, conundrums and catch questions were always popular. There were no after dinner speeches.
The Athenian maintained, theoretically, that the place for. woman was inside the house; but in practice the matron enjoyed more liberty; she was not kept a prisoner. In her youth her training was directed toward domestic duties. She learned to spin, sew, weave and embroider, as well as cooking and the management of the household. As a child she had her toys, her dolls of painted clay or wax, with movable legs and arms. Her little brothers play with her till she is seven years old. She is not allowed to see men, even when she grows up. If she has no father, her nearest male kinsman, if a bachelor and not a full brother, has the first claim to marry her. Equality of pecuniary position is sought on both sides. The men felt that marriage was a burden, so distasteful that they did not enter into it till after they were 30, whereas the girls usually married very young. But marriage was felt to be a duty, to himself that he might have children to bury him and to pay due honors to his body in the tomb, and a duty to the state, that he might leave children to support it and to worship the gods.
The first ceremony of marriage was the betrothal. The girl need not be present, for it was a contract pure and simple, with which she had nothing to do. As soon as a dowry was agreed upon, the girl was "given away8 in the presence of witnesses. There was no church at all in our sense of the word. The only wedding ceremony was the "bringing home" of the bride, which might be regarded as the actual wedding. If the wife was divorced, the dowry had to be given back. When slie died, it reverted to her nearest of kin. Weddings were usually celebrated in the winter and the time of the full moon was preferred. As a token of farewell to the old life, the girl dedicated her girdle, her toys or a lock of hair to Artemis or to a local nymph. Both the bride and the bridegroom on their wedding day bathed in water brought from some spring of special sanctity. The bride's dress was of some light color.
The guests received a cake made of sesame seeds pounded and roasted and mixed with honey. The bride's father offered sacrifice, taking care to remove the gall of the victim, that no bitterness might enter the lives of the bride and groom. At the banquet the women were permitted to be present, but they sat at separate tables. The bride was given to the groom by her mother, and she was led to the chariot to be taken to her new home. Relatives and guests followed in procession, accompanied by flute and lyre players. The mother followed the chariot, holding up the nuptial torches. The door of the groom's house was specially decorated and on their arrival they were showered with confetti by the groom's mother. The bride ate a quince at the threshold, and then she was led to the bridal chamber, while her friends sang epithalamia, or wedding-hymns, outside the door.
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