Ancient Greek Family Life was as simple as can be. It was almost the same as what families are in modern times. It can be discussed broadly under the following headings:

Ancient Greek Family Life

Family setting

Ancient Greek Family Life, Most homes in ancient Greece had a courtyard, which was the center of activity. Children could safely play outside in the warm climate. Homes were divided into areas for the men and areas for the women. The andron was a room reserved for males to entertain male guests. The room had a separate entrance to the street so male guests did not have to cross paths with any of the ladies of the house.

Houses were made out of sun-dried brick on a foundation of stones. Sun-dried brick was not a dependable material and often crumbled. Burglars were termed wall piercers because they broke through the walls to gain entry into homes. Roofs were made of overlapping clay tiles. Andron room floors were sometimes tiled, but the flooring of the rest of the rooms was packed dirt.

The Greeks had a very limited amount of furniture in their Greek houses. The rooms were relatively bare by today’s standards. Wooden chairs, couches, and stools were typical. Food was cooked outside during most of the year. When the weather was not conducive to cooking outside, a hearth or brazier was used in the kitchen. Kitchens were built with a hole in the roof so that smoke could escape.

Houses had one or two private rooms. Bathrooms consisted of a chamber pot, which was dumped into a gutter or into the street. The head of each household was the husband. It was the woman’s role to complete the daily chores and raise children. Often large families included the parents and children, grandparents, unwed female relatives, and slaves all under the same roof.

Food Clothing and Shelter

Ancient Greeks mainly ate olives, cereal, grains, fruits, and vegetables. They also used goats for milk, and sheep for wool and meat. They ate fish which came from the surrounding oceans. The Greeks ate wheat and barley.

Men and women of Greece wore belted garments of wool or linen called a chiton. The men’s garments hung to the knees whereas women’s went down to their ankles. Their main footwear was sandals. The Greeks houses were small. The poor people of Greece had only one or two-room houses, whereas the wealthy people had bigger houses with separate rooms for eating, sleeping, and cooking

Education

Many children wanted to go to school but couldn’t go. Only those children of citizens could participate in school. The majority of the people who attended school were boys. Not many girls received Greek education. In Athens, subjects were taught at different schools. There was one for general studies, one for music, and one for physical education. In general studies, reading, writing, and arithmetic were taught.

In music, students learned how to play vols or a lyre. In physical education, they ran, jumped, and wrestled. Education in Athens Sparta was much different. They wanted to have strong war with boys and many boys the age of seven were sent to military camps or schools. Higher education consisted of law, philosophy, and medicine.