America: Land of women’s slavery
It can be argued that in no other time in history has there been a freer society than the United States. American’s have the Bill of Rights, which criminalized discrimination, and the Constitution, which proclaims that all men are created equal. There have been other free societies in history. The Greeks and the Romans started a Democratic Republican government tradition that helped inspire the society that we live in today. But our ancient Hellenistic cousins had different concepts in relations between the sexes and the idea of all men created equal did not exist yet. Most modern women believe they are free and equal with men, but they are the most controlled women sexually ever in a society based on a Republic. Ancient Greek and Roman women were freer sexually than are modern western American women.
Today’s sex education includes abstaining from sex and fairytales of what happens to those that commit crimes against chastity, which is creating an atmosphere of fear and ignorance. The Greeks had a much more enlightening approach. Sappho was born about 630 B.C. on the Greek island of Lesbos (Knox 530). She gave us a vivid idea of the joys and sorrows of love for the Greeks. These joys included a Greek woman’s love of young girls. It was believed that this was a mutually beneficial relationship that readied the young girl for marriage to a man. These actions would land a modern American woman in jail, but although the methods may be flawed, the end result is admirable- readying a girl for marriage. Modern society has failed to ready our girls for marriage resulting in the girls not ever being able to experience a healthy and loving marriage. They are not free to have a successful marriage.
Morality is a human creation, and although the gods may not approve, they are not bound by it (Knox 106). There is a double standard; one for the gods and one for the mortals. Today messages from God are brought to us by priests and other clergy. In the past Prophets and Saints have brought these messages, but not all of these messages would be considered moral by today standards. Noah enslaved the Canaanites because of their religious sexual practices. When Noah was drunk he had his way with the Canaan (Genesis 9:21–25). Not only do men of God have homosexual encounters in the Bible, they rape women (Judges 21:10–24). Theologians would argue that men have free will and God was not responsible. This is just a cop out to justify past and present religious sexual oppressions. In Greco-Roman religion same-sex love was integrated in sacred texts and rituals, reflecting the fact that in antiquity it was considered normal to be open to romantic engagements with either sex. Modern women are not free religiously.
Women throughout the world today have access to birth control, abortion and personal pleasure devices. Walk into a Pharmacy in Russia or China and there beside the aspirin are the Ortho Tri-cyclens. Countries with communist government histories are easier to get birth control pill in than the United States. Ancient Greek women ate the plant Silphium for birth control (Birth). They ate the plant so much that it became extinct. There are some Planed Parenthood locations in the Bible belt states where it would be advisable to wear a bullet proof vest while visiting. There are even some states where sexual aids are illegal. The dildo dates back to at least Greek and Roman times, but is illegal in Texas, founded 1845, to have more than 6 pleasure devices! We live in such sexually enlightening times. Modern women’s bodies are not free.
Roman women, who had so few legal rights, could also possess so many personal freedoms. Women were also able to attend religious festivals. They regularly attended Roman public baths. Girls did receive some informal education in their homes and learned to read and write. They were considered citizens, but they were not permitted to vote or participate in government procedures. Roman law placed penalties on celibacy and not marrying; and rewarded marriage and having children. The ancient Romans understood that in order for a culture to survive there must be procreation and the Romans encouraged it. Modern women are encouraged to enter the workforce and encouraged to put off having children to the last possible moment, even though modern medicine has proven this to be dangerous to the Mother’s health. Having surplus labor leads to having lower wages. Modern women are slaves to consumerism and capitalism.
The United States is the most sexually repressed Republic in history. Modern western society is in a sexual quagmire that oppresses women. Ancient Greek and Roman women were freer sexually than are modern western American women, although they did not have the right to vote. We do not teach our young girls how to have a successful marriage. Our religions are hypocritical and shame women into submission. Women’s bodies are under control of religious fanatics and doctors with their own agendas and are not truly free. Women today are slaves to the corporations and religious fanatics that set our social agenda, but there is hope. Family Sciences is once again a favored subject in high schools and universities. Churches with corrupt clergy are expelling them. The day after pill is available at your neighborhood drug store, behind the counter of course. Young people are once again are marrying, staying married and having children. There might be hope for our modern society yet. We might catch up with those ancient Romans and Greeks in a few hundred years.
Works Cited
Birth Control. 5 December 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birth_control
Sophocles. Antigone. Tr. Robert Fagels. Norton Anthology of World Literature. 2nd ed. Eds. Sarah Lawall and Maynard Mack. Volume A. New York: Norton, 2002. 106–530.
The New American Bible. 1996–1997 Edition. Fireside Bible Publishers. Kansas. 1991. Exodus-Job.
