Date: 19 March 2024
Time: 15:41:35 CET
Topic: 10. Society in the Heroic Age
Tags: society, ancient Greece, heroic, Odyssey, Iliad, epic, tradition, kingship, nobility, Boule, Agora, social classes, slavery, women, family, hospitality, virtues, arts, trade, exploration, knowledge, mythology
A Window into the Heroic Age: Greek Society Through Homer's Lens
While the legendary tales of Greece can't be taken as fully factual accounts of history, they offer valuable insights into the customs, social structures, and general way of life during the period they originated from. Homer's epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey (likely composed around the 8th or 9th century BC), serve as our primary source for piecing together a picture of Greek society in the Heroic Age.
Kings: Leaders, Warriors, and Judges
- Hereditary Rule: Homeric Greece was governed by hereditary kings, believed to possess divine or superhuman lineage. These kings held immense power, acting as lawgivers, judges, and military leaders for their people.
- Ruling by Example: A king's right to rule was validated by his courage, strength, wisdom, and eloquence. If these qualities faltered, his authority waned.
The King's Counselors: The Boule
- Aiding the King: The king was advised by a council of nobles or chiefs, known as the Boule. However, this council primarily offered recommendations, not wielding true decision-making power.
- Limited Role for the Assembly - A larger assembly called the Agora existed, consisting of all free commoners. However, their role was passive; they listened to discussions between the king and his advisors, learning the decisions made and perhaps the reasoning behind them. This assembly, with little apparent power in the Heroic Age, would later evolve into the powerful democratic institutions of historical Greece.
Social Classes: A Glimpse into Daily Life
- The Nobility and the Commoners: Details about the commoners' lives are scarce; the epics focused primarily on kings and nobles. Wealthier citizens likely owned and worked their own farms, while the poorer class may have labored for hire on noble estates.
- Slavery in Context: Slavery existed, but slaves weren't as numerous as they would become in later periods. The epics don't suggest harsh treatment of slaves in general.
- Women and the Family: Wives held a more respected position compared to later times. The story of Penelope in the Odyssey reflects a more chivalrous attitude towards women in the Heroic Age.
- Simplicity and Self-Sufficiency: Life across social classes was marked by a sense of patriarchal simplicity. Manual labor wasn't considered degrading. Nobles like Odysseus took pride in their ability to build their own homes and work the land. Spinning and weaving were primary activities for women of all classes.
Hospitality: A Sacred Duty
- Welcoming Strangers: A prominent virtue of the Heroic Age was hospitality. With no public inns, travelers depended on the kindness of others. Hospitality resembled the open-handed welcome offered by modern-day Bedouin sheiks to travelers.
- The Divine Guest: The belief that gods could disguise themselves as humans also encouraged the kind treatment of strangers, as one might unknowingly be entertaining an angel.
- Guest Rights and Lasting Bonds: Guests were offered the best the house could provide, with inquiries about their journey and purpose delayed until they were well-rested. Sharing a meal created a kinship between guest and host, forging a new and respected relationship. Appeals based on this shared experience ("We have broken bread together") were considered sacred and rarely refused.
A Duality: Hospitality and Harshness
While hospitable, the nobility of the Heroic Age also exhibited cruelty, violence, and deceit. Homer depicts his heroes readily committing acts of treachery and fraud. Piracy was even considered an honorable pursuit.
The Arts and the Broader World
- Early Stages of Development: Art and architecture were still in their early stages. Cities had walls, and palaces possessed a certain degree of barbaric splendor.
- A Barter System and Limited Communication: Coin money wasn't yet in use; wealth was measured in livestock, herds, and uncoined metals. Writing was likely unknown, and sculpture wasn't advanced, as statues aren't mentioned in the Homeric poems.
- Limited Trade and Exploration: Commerce was in its infancy. Though destined to become a maritime power, the Greeks in the Heroic Age hadn't explored the seas extensively. The Phoenicians dominated maritime trade, acting as intermediaries in the Mediterranean world.
- A Limited Worldview: The Greeks' knowledge of the world beyond their own land and neighboring regions was restricted. The echoes of civilizations like ancient Egypt and Chaldea barely reached them.
The poems of Homer offer a glimpse into a society vastly different from our own. While idealized and focused on the nobility, they provide a valuable starting point for understanding the social