Patriarchal Society (Ch6)

What examples of patriarchal society can be found in the classical world?        

             The patriarchy societies in the Classical World were, self explanatory, run by men, treating woman like dirt. Most places believed a woman's place was the home, where as a man's work was public. It was believed a woman was basically useless in many regards, and that she needed the protection and control of a man. If she even wanted to go to the market she had to have a male servant accompany her. In lower classes the woman actually had fewer restrictions than those of woman in higher classes. Upper class woman were limited to staying within the home and servant management where as those of lower class were more free to do outside work, but their lives were also more burdened. 
             In China when a baby girl is three days after birth she is placed below the bed to show how she is lowly and weak and to be humble before others, she is also given broken pottery to play with to show that her primary duty is to be industrious (there is then also an offering given to the ancestors to indicate that she will her responsibility for the continuation of worship in the home). The Two Notions of a woman was that "Men go out, and Woman stay in." and the "Three Obedience's" which is the subordination to firstly her father, secondly her husband, and lastly to her son. The only female emperor was Empress Wu, who many said that her actions were to the benefit of woman, she made it so that the mourning period of a mothers death was equal to that of a fathers and that their would be a Chinese character depicting a 'Human Being' which suggested the birth process. The Nomadic Influence loosened the grip on woman's restrictions a bit because that is how the Nomads lived, by the time of the Tang Dynasty woman were able to handle legal and business affairs all on their own. Occasionally they'd even be allowed to ride a horse, be bareheaded, or wear a mans clothing.
            GREECE: Some Greek thinkers compared woman with children and domesticated animals.  In Athens woman were not even referred by name in court, only as so-&-so's wife/daughter/mother. They were married off in their teen years to men that were ten to fifteen years older then them. Girls were limited to learning spinning and weaving and other household tasks where as boys learned writing and reading.

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How did the caste system form and how were people within its various castes treated? 

           The top four classes were the original classes, known as Varna. At the top was priests, known as Brahmins whom preformed rituals that ensured world function. Kshatriya were the warriors and rulers that governed society. Vaisya were the commoners who cultivated the land. those three classes were regarded as Pure Aryans "twice borns". At the bottom was the Sudra class, native people and servants. They were valued so little that if one was killed the punishment for the murderer was the same as if that person were a cat. 
           ^ The four Varna were formed from the god "Purusha"'s body, making it eternal and changeless. Brahmin Caste also had tribal medicine men/sorcerers within it. Kshatriya and Brahmins were often battling for the top position. The changes that were made to the System was that Vaisya came to include merchants and businessmen, Sudra included peasant farmers, and the new class of 'Untouchables' was added for those that did unclean work. 
          Jati's were the groups within a Varna based upon occupation. Marriage and meals permitted only within one's Jati. There were particular sets of rules/duties/obligations that they must follow, i.e. Brahmins could not eat meat at all, Kshatriya could and the Upper class woman covered their bodies where as people of the lower class did not.