The first step toward wedding ritual was ἐ γγ η ύ , ceremony, relatively informal and after that was made to specify the details of the agreement, which represented the marriage between the legal guardian of the bride and groom, or their legal guardian . The marriages were arranged, often for political reasons or for money , ie it was a contract, a commercial transaction. In Iphigenia in Aulis , for example, Clytemnestra asked her husband to discuss the economic situation and the groom's lineage ( Euripides, Iphigenia in Aulis, 694-695 ) saying
το ὒ Ὲ νομα μ ν ο ν παιδ ὖ ' ἶ ο δ' τ ὅ ῳ κατ ῄ νεσας , γ έ νους δ ὲ πο ί ου χ ὠ ποθεν μαθε ῖ ν θ έ λω
know the name of the young man who you've promised, but I know what race is and where
The Greek word ἐ γγ ύ η refers to that which is placed in their hands as collateral ( Bailly, A., Dictionnaire Grec-Français, voice ἐ γγ η ύ , pg. 566) and, perhaps, confirm that a handshake between the two sides used to seal the marriage agreement, an idea is reflected in Herodotus , who, speaking of the marriage of the son of Croesus writes ( Herodotus, Histories , I 35 ):
ἔ χοντος δ ο έ ἱ ἐ ν χερσ ὶ το ῦ παιδ ὸ ς τ ν γ ὸ ά μον
And think this handshake may have been accompanied by a formula usually ( Menander, Perikeiromene , 894-895 ):
ύ τα την γνησ ί ων πα ί δων ἐ π ' ἀ τ ρ ό ῳ ί σοι δ Δωμι
I surrender to it for procreation of legitimate children
The betrothal ceremony could take place several years before marriage, even if the bride was very young and had not reached menarche . He remembered dowry that the parent or guardian of the bride hand over to her future husband and used to be composed of a combination of things: land, money and goods, including slaves . Although actually father was not legally obligated to provide a dowry to the bride , was a way to show the richness of an Athenian family and a good dowry improved the situation of a wealthy family . came to be cited as legal argument to reveal the official status of a marriage and to confirm the legitimacy of children ( Iseo, Speeches, III on the heritage of Pirro, 8 ):
ν τιν ἥ
ά ποτε προ ῖ κ ά φησιν ἐ ς πιδο ὺ ἐ κξο ῦ ναι τ ν ὴ ἀ δελφ ὴ ν ὁ μεμαρτυρηκ ὼ ῷ ς τ τ ν τριτ ὸ ά λαντον ο ἶ κον κεκτεμ έ ν ῷ ...
who has witnessed who married his sister who had a fortune of three talents says that is the dowry given at the time ...
Plato in Laws VI, 774 C , suggests that a large dowry may upset the balance of power (the husband over the wife) within the marriage and recommends a limit of 50 drachmas dowry. Thus, he says, the result would :
ὕ βρις δ ὲ ἧ ττον among women I Ms. I traffickers ί a humble the Ms. I a NELE ύ summer by a Ch ή automatically the As I c ή register the name c ί gnoit ' Ah Law
Habría menor insolencia por Part of the wives and less would be the humiliation and servitude by her husband because of money.
From Plato's text would appear that the dowry was a source of power for women within the ο ἶ κος _ husband actually in case of divorce, the dowry should be returned in full and had to be holding back potential verbal or physical abuse by her husband _ However, women did not own dowry, but the control they exercised the same men in her life . It has been said earlier in this article rule was exercised over the young, first, the father. If he died, the paternal uncle acted as his guardian until he contracted marriage, when the protection rested with the husband. If widowed or divorced, returned to its original guardian or, if your eldest son was an adult, could remain in the ο ἶ κος marriage under his tutelage. Any change in the social status of women marriage, divorce or widowhood had resulted in a change of guardian, but also the incorporation a new household or return to their ο ἶ κος native . This text Demosthenes illustrates that the dowry was owned by men :
μ γ ὴ ή μαντος δ 'α ὐ το ῦ τ ν μητ ὴ έ ρα τ ὴ ν ἐ μ ή ν, ὁ μ ὲ ν ν ό μος κελε ύ ει τ ὴ ν προ ῖ κ' ὀ φε ί λειν ἐ π' ἐ νν έ ' ὀ βολο ῖ ς ( Demosthenes, Against Áfobo I, 17 )
But in the case of my mother not to marry, the law declares that he owes me the amount of dowry with an interest in nine mites month
The women were legal minors equivalent, why could not manage any property . A law cited by the Athens Iseo, indicates that the legal capacity women to make financial transactions was severely limited ( Iseo, Contra Jeneneto 10. 10 ):
The law expressly prohibits hiring a child, like a woman when it exceeds a barley medimni
Marina Picazo in Someone will remember us. Women in ancient Greek city , explains that the medimni barley was worth about three drachms in the s. IV BC and amounted to about 52 liters, rations meant an adult for 24 days. That amount was enough to feed a family for 5 or 6 days and had to be what was needed for a woman could make small business transactions, such as those made in the markets.
