How to train your wife

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  • How to train your wife
    • Xenophon is writing a dialogue about Socrates meeting Ischomachus,
      • he is writing in the 4th century BC
      • Socrates is the first person
      • Xenophon is writing about how he thinks women should behave in the household
    • Socrates praises him for having so much free time
      • this because he has trained his wife to be able to run his indoor affairs
        • she came to him knowing little about household affairs
        • Ischomachus and his wife pray to the gods to make her a good housewife
          • this will make her work harder because she is obeying the gods as well as him
          • if she disobeys they gods will notice and will punish her
        • their is a clear theme that Ischomachus is teaching her her responsibilities
        • he talks to her in a patronising way- 'my dear do you know why...'
        • he says that he chose her and her parents chose him so they might share a home and children
        • he creates the idea of a partnership
          • that they will share children, a household, dowry
            • he brought they house and she brought her dowry
              • the better partner is not the one with the largest assets but the one who makes the most worthy contribution
                • the wife feels she has little to contribute but her tells her her duty is to keep the property as well as possible
    • it is important that the okios is run well so the man can do activites outside
    • her duty Is to be the Queen bee
      • he backs up his points by referring the gods and how female and male are supposed to be in partnership
      • when he brings provisions into the household she should keep them safe
      • it s her duty to rear children, make food out of the harvest and make clothing from wool
      • the gods gave men s body fit to endue the heat and cold of travel and military service and so their role is to work outside
        • the female body is not fir for this and so they are suited to working inside
          • and so the females body is fit for nursing, an indoor activity
      • they both rely on each other
      • males were made more fearful because they need to protect the household and their produce
      • the queen bee's duty is also to make sure the other bee's aren't lazy
        • she send the right bee's to work outside and know what each of them brings into the household and keeps is safely
        • she gives everyone there fair share
          • by building a relationship they will be more inclined to serve her
            • look after slaves if they're ill
        • she supervises and makes sure each slave weaves well and efficiently
      • to finance and make sure the expenditure for a year is not used up in a month
      • the wife thinks he is more suited to the role of Queen Bee
        • but he says that his work would be inconsequential if I wasn't for her
          • complementary roles
      • she should turn her slaves into skilled wool workers and make them twice as valuable
      • he found that if she made a mistake she would be upset
    • the greatest pleasure will be if she is more worthy than him
    • makeup
      • more admirable personalities than beauty
      • he doesn't want her to wear makeup or other men will fine her attractive
      • he tell her that by wearing make-up she is deceiving  him
        • it is like him telling her that he had more money than he actually did
      • he would rather see her natural healthy face
      • why would he deceive him as they live together so he knows what her nakedd face looks like
      • actors put on makeup to pretend they're something their not
      • she never puts on makeup again
      • he tells her t be active and not to sit around, this way she can keep an eye on the slaves
        • and keep fit
        • this way she is more sexually stimulating
        • if the slaves are more sexual stimulating the he will have sex with them
    • his reasons
      • makes sure she doesn't cheat
      • increases his wealth
      • protecting his family
      • ensures he's not disgraced
        • the longer he spends outside the more risk that she will have an affair

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