C.O& FAMILY \ v D NEIGHBOURS

the much more sincere and serious phrases of the Lysis trate L
In this play5 indeed, though women of all types are depicted,
Lysistrate herself is a woman of true genius, character and
independence, and we may well conclude from her personality
that Kimon's sister Elpimke or the Milesian Aspasia were not
the only women in Athens who met men on their own level,
both personally and socially. But if such women did not stand
alone, they were nevertheless exceptional That unity among
women of which Euripides sometimes speaks — although he
also knows of their pleasure in talking evil of one another — is
little more than a natural mutual sympathy and allied opposition
to man.2 What emancipation there was, did not touch the
female sex as a whole and its position in society. It is stated and
at the same time made a matter of reproach that in the tragedies
of Euripides women of every age, as well as slaves, had full
freedom of speech, like men and masters 3 That is to say, Euri-
pides represents them as individuals and in a more realistic wav
than older tragedy From the passages previously mentioned we
can conclude that Aristophanes' voice was only one in a general
chorus, and that Euripides fully realized the weight of public
opinion against free speech for women. The main burden,
however, of the women's grievances against Euripides is that
he shows up their failings and brings distrust and enmity into
married life 4 No doubt, in these reproaches there is revealed
both the poet's discriminating psychology and the general
movement towards the emancipation of women, such as was
the natural outcome of an age of rationalist 'enlightenment'.
Aristophanes, however, speaks mainly of the gossipy, drunken
and immoral ways of women.5 Although Euripides sometimes
talks about the clever woman, the 'learned woman' had not
yet come into existence; comedy is not likely to have missed
the opportunity of depicting her.6 It remains significant that
Penkles, who was not exactly conservative, either in his views
or in his way of life, is said to have declared that a woman
should not be spoken of among men, either in praise or in
blame.7 Little more than the first steps had been taken towards
women's emancipation

1 L $o7ff * Łur fffj 329> 830,7^- 108 - Ph 1980"
* F 949? * See especially Th 3 84$" " 5 e g , Th 392$; 4"6lF
* Woman as acxj>f|, e g , Eur Htpp 640, Audi 213!"
7 Thuc II, 45, 2