Research Paper: Role of Women in Greek Mythology In my reading I found that women in ancient Greece played an important role in society. Unlike many other societies, women were able to play an important role in things like religion and politics and were seen as valued members of society. This is something very rare in early Western civilization, as women were primarily oppressed for much of our history. Continuing my research on the role of women in ancient Greek civilization, I discovered that many of their predominant mythological figures are also strong women. Women played an important role in Greek religion and were revered no less than male figures. Many of the Greek goddesses are depicted as strong, powerful, and yet still feminine figures. Some examples of their strength and intelligence are depicted in the stories of Hera, Athena, and more. Each of these female goddesses is considered a key part of Greek mythology and clearly had an impact on how Greeks viewed women in their society. I believe it is largely because of the importance of goddesses to Greek mythology that women could be such important parts of Greek society as a whole. According to Goddesses, Whores, Wives and Slaves: Women in Classical Antiquity by Sarah B. Pomeroy girls in ancient Greece were taught to be physically strong. They took part in many physical activities such as sports together with the boys. Pomeroy also states that women played an important role in religious festivals (Pomeroy). “Spartan women underwent physical training… they could own their own land (up to 40% of Spartan land in the 4th century BC was owned by women). The sayings of the Spartan women were collected and became the essence of the Sp...... middle of paper...... the completely naked statue of the goddess Aphrodite was created at the very beginning of the Hellenistic age - and, always more, rulers in their won right” (Scott). Greek goddesses and their representation in Greek mythology set a standard followed by Greek women, to try their best to be equal to men and now allow themselves to feel oppressed. In conclusion, religion played a very important role in the emancipation of women in Ancient Greece. Thanks to the beautiful portrayal of women in Greek mythology, Greek women were respected and had the ability to affect change in their society. The stories of Hera, Athena, Odysseus, and Circe all helped shape the structure of women in Greek society. Each of the stories shows a different face of women, all playing just as important a role in Greek worship and Greek daily life as their male counterparts..