Please note:  Some of you talked about the families in the myths, like Oedipus' family, for instance. Some of you talked about Greek life in general.   This was not exactly the question.  What I wanted you to think about was what conclusions we might draw about real Greek families of antiquity if we had only myths for reference for source material. Some of you talked more about religion than about family life.  If you will read the summary below, you will be able to tell if your paragraph was on the right track.  After each summary statement are some brief references to mythic characters or stories that support the statement.

Marriage:

Greek marriages were monogamous and patriarchal (husband is supreme authority). (Zeus and Hera)

A double-standard for sexual behavior existed for husbands and wives.  The husband was permitted to have sexual contact with women other than his wife (as long as these women were of lower social status such as concubines, prostitutes, slaves, or mortals, if the male is a god) but women could have sex only with their husbands or men of higher status, like a god). (Zeus and Io,  Aphrodite and Anchises, Semele)

Despite this double standard, wives were often jealous of their rivals, and in particular, feared the threat of illegitimate children. (Hera and Heracles, Dejanira and Iole)

Men's social status was not harmed by contact with women of lower status, but women's social status was affected. (see double standard above)

Marriages were arranged by parents.

Some marriages were happy, some unhappy. (Baucis and Philemon, Agamemnon and Clytemnestra)

A wife without a husband was vulnerable. (Penelope)

Husbands were often away from home and the consequences of that were often negative. (Odysseus, Agamemnon)

Roles of husband and wife, well-defined and structured.

Marrage was a legal construction designed to produce legitimate children.

Husbands were often older than their wives. Authority often tied to age.

Marriage with foreigners was frowned upon.(Jason and Medea)

Sex tied a woman to her husband. (Persephone)

Physical beauty was an asset for both men and women.  (Odysseus, Helen)

Role of Women:

Women were in charge of the home, including supervision of children, slaves, budgets, and domestic industry-weaving etc. (Penelope, Clytemnestra)

Women had limited freedom outside the home. (Procne)

Women were under the power of  fathers until marriage, and husbands after marriage. (Danaids)

Women were supposed to be-chaste and modest before marriage; faithful, industrious, tolerant (of their husbands' affairs) etc. afterward. (Dejanira, Penelope, Clytemnestra)

A woman's family is her only protection against abuse by a husband or prospective husband. (Medea, Danae, Penelope)

Children:

There was often affection between parents and children.  (Demeter and Persephone, Agamemnon and Iphigenia, Niobe and her children)

Step-parents, particularly step-mothers, hostile to step-children. (Phrixus and Helle)

Sons succeed their father in occupation and status. (Daedalus and Icarus, Theseus and Aegeus)

Unwanted children could be exposed. (Oedipus)

Sons have responsibility to protect or avenge the death of a parent. (Orestes, Perseus)

Wealthy parents often use wet-nurses for children. (Odysseus, Demeter in Eleusis)

Brothers often in competition. (Agamemnon and Menelaus)

Fathers achieve a kind of immortality through children.  (Achilles)

General Points:

Families are responsible for burial of family members. (Antigone, Elpenor)

Most Greek families were poor or lived modest lives in modest homes.

Most Greek families were farmers and life was hard.  Only the wealthy lived in palaces and went on hunting adventures. No one had much control over his life.  Fate and the gods determined everything even for the rich. (Oedipus)

Ancestors determine status of family.

Mortality was common at all ages.  (Orpheus and Eurydice, Hyacinth)

Family life is most vulnerable to deceit, betrayal, disloyalty. (Atreus and Thyestes; Tereus, Procne, and Philomela)