ET CETERA ANTIQUA

📝 Classical Civilisation essay, Year 11. Mark: 7/8. Teacher feedback: “Concise, clear and well-made arguments. Take care over your factual details and fully explaining the importance of each aspect.”

Source A suggests that the Thesmophoria was more important for women. The herald says that it would be “a day of rest” for women. This suggests that the Thesmophoria was more important because it offered a reprieve from their regular duties as kyria — managing the household and the slaves. It was three days outside of the normal routine, which was very rare for Athenian women.

However, Source B suggests that the Panathenaia was more important because it gave them the opportunity to do something important for their city. The Ergastinai (a group of women) were responsible for weaving the peplos; the frieze shows an archon holding the peplos, which was woven by the Ergastinai. This shows that the Panathenaia was more important because they were responsible for a central aspect of the festival — the peplos would dress the olivewood statue of Athena in the Erechtheion.

Another reason why the Thesmophoria was more important is the fact that it is a festival of fertility, which mainly links to women and their ability to have children. The best, most important thing a woman could do was produce children, so the Thesmophoria would be more important to them because it celebrated their ability to do so. This shows that the Thesmophoria was more important because it was a whole festival celebrating their most important duty to their city. Also, it may have been important for “helping” women get pregnant in the first place — this is one of the things women participating in the festival would have been hoping for.

Another reason the Panathenaia was more important was the procession to the Acropolis, in which women played a big part. It was also led by the priestess of Athena Polias, a woman. In the procession, the Arrephoroi (a group of unmarried girls who helped weave the peplos) carried the peplos to the olivewood statue of Athena in the Erechtheion. This shows that the Panathenaia was more important because women played a big part in the procession — arguably the most important part of the Panathenaia itself.

In conclusion, I think that while women played a big part in the Panathenaia, the Thesmophoria was more important to women. This is because it offered a day of rest from their usual duties as kyria, and because it celebrated fertility, which linked to their most important role in Greek society — as mothers.