DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.13851#0620
OF THE MISCELLANY CUSTOMS OF GREECE.
greaterfreedom with her husband, and more respect from him, than such
as owed their maintenance to him. So sensible was Lycurgis of this, and
some other inconveniences attending this custom, that partly for fear
wives should domineer over their husbands, and partly out of a desire
that men should choose wives more for the sake of their persons than
their money, and that no woman's poverty should hinder her of an hus-
band, he quite banished it out of Sparta (l). Solon agreed herein with
Lycurgus ; for all the dowry he permitted the Athenian wives to have,
was a little inconsiderable household stuff, and three suits of clothes :
' for (says Plutarch) he would not have marriages for gain, or an estate,
but for pure love, kind affection, and to get children (2).' But some are
of opinion, that his ordinance had no relation to dowries, but only to
those gifts which the bride brought with her called eTratiXict, of which an
account will afterwards be given. And that Solon did not prohibit other
dowries, appears hence, that men who had no sons, were allowed to en-
tail their estates upon daughters ; and every heiress (the Athenians called
them irfi'xXrigoi) was obliged to marry her nearest relation, lest her estate
should go out of the family ; but in consideration of her dowry, she had
the privilege, when her husband was impotent, to lie with his nearest
kinsman ; which law was contrived against those who, conscious of their
own inability would match with heiresses for the portion's sake, and
make use of a law to put violence upon nature ; yet (saith my author) it
was wisely done to confine her to her husband's nearest kinsman, that the
children might be of the same family. A farther privilege heiresses had
above other women was, that their husbands were obliged to lie with them
thrice a month (3). When there were any orphan virgins without inhe-
ritance, whom they termed S^tftfai (4), he that was next in blood was
obliged to marry her himself, or settle a portion on her according to his
quality ; if he was nsvraxotfio^scJiixvos, one of the first rank, five minas, or
500 drachms ; if •Iirrfsug, of the second rank, 300 ; if Zvyirwg, of the third
rank. 150 ; but if she had many relations equally allied, all of them con-
tributed their proportions to make up the sum. If there were more than
one virgin, their nearest kinsman was only obliged to marr}r, or give a.
portion to one of them ; and upon his refusal to do this, any person was
allowed to indict him before the ^rchon, who was obliged to compel him
to his duty ; and if he refused to put the law in execution, was fined 1000~
drachms, which were consecrated to Juno, the goddess of marriage (5).
Terence has several hints at these customs ; for his scenes being laid in
Athens, he frequently describes the usages of that city : thus in Phor
mio * :
.Lex est, ut orbce, qui sint gencre proximi,
Eis nubant, et illos ducere eadem hac kxjubet.
-There's a law
That orphan girls should wed their next of kin.
Which law obliges too their next of kin
To marry them.-- colmas.
In the same comedy (t>,) he expressly mentions the five minae given by
men of the first quality :
(1) Justin, lib. iii Plutarch. Apotheg. cap. 6. (5) Demosthenes Orat. ad Macartaium &6
Laconic. iElian. Var. Hist. lib. vi. Hagiana hsereditate.
(2) Plutarchus Solone. * Act. i. sc. 2.
(3) Idem. loc. citato. (6) Act. ii. sc, 3
<4) Eustathius in Iliad ex Aristophane Grammatico
greaterfreedom with her husband, and more respect from him, than such
as owed their maintenance to him. So sensible was Lycurgis of this, and
some other inconveniences attending this custom, that partly for fear
wives should domineer over their husbands, and partly out of a desire
that men should choose wives more for the sake of their persons than
their money, and that no woman's poverty should hinder her of an hus-
band, he quite banished it out of Sparta (l). Solon agreed herein with
Lycurgus ; for all the dowry he permitted the Athenian wives to have,
was a little inconsiderable household stuff, and three suits of clothes :
' for (says Plutarch) he would not have marriages for gain, or an estate,
but for pure love, kind affection, and to get children (2).' But some are
of opinion, that his ordinance had no relation to dowries, but only to
those gifts which the bride brought with her called eTratiXict, of which an
account will afterwards be given. And that Solon did not prohibit other
dowries, appears hence, that men who had no sons, were allowed to en-
tail their estates upon daughters ; and every heiress (the Athenians called
them irfi'xXrigoi) was obliged to marry her nearest relation, lest her estate
should go out of the family ; but in consideration of her dowry, she had
the privilege, when her husband was impotent, to lie with his nearest
kinsman ; which law was contrived against those who, conscious of their
own inability would match with heiresses for the portion's sake, and
make use of a law to put violence upon nature ; yet (saith my author) it
was wisely done to confine her to her husband's nearest kinsman, that the
children might be of the same family. A farther privilege heiresses had
above other women was, that their husbands were obliged to lie with them
thrice a month (3). When there were any orphan virgins without inhe-
ritance, whom they termed S^tftfai (4), he that was next in blood was
obliged to marry her himself, or settle a portion on her according to his
quality ; if he was nsvraxotfio^scJiixvos, one of the first rank, five minas, or
500 drachms ; if •Iirrfsug, of the second rank, 300 ; if Zvyirwg, of the third
rank. 150 ; but if she had many relations equally allied, all of them con-
tributed their proportions to make up the sum. If there were more than
one virgin, their nearest kinsman was only obliged to marr}r, or give a.
portion to one of them ; and upon his refusal to do this, any person was
allowed to indict him before the ^rchon, who was obliged to compel him
to his duty ; and if he refused to put the law in execution, was fined 1000~
drachms, which were consecrated to Juno, the goddess of marriage (5).
Terence has several hints at these customs ; for his scenes being laid in
Athens, he frequently describes the usages of that city : thus in Phor
mio * :
.Lex est, ut orbce, qui sint gencre proximi,
Eis nubant, et illos ducere eadem hac kxjubet.
-There's a law
That orphan girls should wed their next of kin.
Which law obliges too their next of kin
To marry them.-- colmas.
In the same comedy (t>,) he expressly mentions the five minae given by
men of the first quality :
(1) Justin, lib. iii Plutarch. Apotheg. cap. 6. (5) Demosthenes Orat. ad Macartaium &6
Laconic. iElian. Var. Hist. lib. vi. Hagiana hsereditate.
(2) Plutarchus Solone. * Act. i. sc. 2.
(3) Idem. loc. citato. (6) Act. ii. sc, 3
<4) Eustathius in Iliad ex Aristophane Grammatico