A typical day
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A modern view of what it was like to be a Greek housewife!

Excerpt from: Lynn, Schnurnberger. Let There Be Clothes. Workman Publishing; New York, 1991.

 

TIMETABLE OF A TYPICAL DAY

7:05 Rises

7:08 Eats small piece of bread soaked in wine. Is still hungry, but must be careful about her figure

7:09 Pecks husband on cheek and sends him off to the agora. Sighs. Looks at the four bare (slightly tinted) walls. Rarely allowed out of the house, she prepares for another day at home.

7:15 Summon hand maiden to cool her with huge peacock feather.

8:30 All dressed up with no place to go, she wanders into the kitchen, eyes a piece of honey cake. Resists.

9:27 Hears argument between two servants, rushes out to mediate.

11:15 Wanders into the courtyard near flowerbed where slave girls are spinning and giggling. Asks to join them. Is reminded this is improper behavior - they suggest she ready herself for lunch.

12:15 Husband arrives, chiding her about the foolishness of make-up. Pretends to agree. Husband leaves at 12:22

3:00 Instructs daughter on her duties of being a wife.

8:05 Husband and wife sit down at low table to dinner; bread, oil, wine, a few figs, small portion of fish (only 320 calories) and beans. She hears about his day. He tells her she should not bother about the affairs of men. Pretends to agree. She is too hungry to argue.

10:10 Falls asleep. Does not dream of tomorrow.


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