Greek women appearance. Greek women: famous Greek profile, description, female types, clothes from ancient times to the present, beautiful Greek women with photos

They not only always stood out for their beauty, but were officially crowned as the most beautiful women of Greece. Since 1990, when national beauty contests began to be held in the country with a further ticket to Miss World or Miss Universe, many young Greek women dreamed of winning the title of the most beautiful of women. Some of these beauties have disappeared from the public space, others have made a career and to this day delight the audience with their charm. Here are some of the most notable Star Hellas beauty queens…

Jenny Balanchine (1990)

Jennie won the Star Ellas crown in 1990 at the age of 20. Already next year, at one of the international beauty contests abroad, a Greek woman wins the title of "Miss Tourism". In Greece, Balanchine's career goes uphill, the girl's name becomes the most popular in the world of fashion and beauty.

Jenny collaborates with leading Greek and foreign designers, participates in filming and fashion shows. Marries the famous Petros Kostopoulos (divorced in 2014), the couple has three children. Currently, Balanchine is busy in the television field. They say about Jenny that at one time she walked literally kilometers on the catwalks!

Evie Adam (1994)

Evie Adam was crowned in 1994 and 20 years later remains a real beauty. The Greek press called her "Eternal Miss Hellas", recognizing Amy as the owner of sophisticated Greek beauty. Adam was born and raised in Germany in a family of Greek immigrants, and built her career in her historical homeland. Since childhood, Evie wanted to be a flight attendant, but she became a beauty queen. Participated in shows and filming, sometimes very frank.

Following dozens of covers with her photographs, the demand for cooperation with Evi grows, and later she is invited to television. The marriage of Evie Adam to the famous Greek singer Lambis Livieratos was widely reported, but even more so was their divorce. Then the paparazzi followed the former spouses on their heels.

Irini Skliva (1996)

Irini Skliva is the only Greek woman so far who has managed to win the title of the first beauty of the world. In 1996, she was crowned as Miss Hellas and in the same year at the international competition in India she was recognized as the first Miss World. Irini continued her modeling career, but eventually abandoned the catwalk for the sake of her family.

Despite her retirement from show business, Irini Skliva will go down in history as the only Miss World from Greece. She leads a private life and very rarely appears in front of the general public. Having married in 2002, the first beauty of Hellas and the world gets into the lenses very rarely gets into the lenses of photographers.

Marietta Khrusala (2003)


By all accounts, Marietta is one of the most beautiful Star Ellas winners. In 2003, a journalism student at the University of Athens decided to take part in a beauty contest broadcast on Ant1 TV channel and became the winner.

In 2005, Marietta starts her television career first as a co-host of the Sunday show of Grigoris Arnautoglu, then from 2006 to 2009 she hosts her own morning show on the Alter channel. Soon she marries the offspring of the wealthy family of Leo Patitsas and disappears from the media space. Marietta's wedding on the historic ship "Averov" made a lot of noise in the press. True, this was the last hype in the press around the name of Marietta. Since then, Khrusala has changed the status of the first beauty to the status of a hearth fairy.

Dukissa Nomiku (2007)


The beautiful Dukissa literally mesmerized the jury of the beauty contest with her extraordinary eyes and received the Star Ellas crown in 2007. The daughter of the famous Greek singer Nikos Nomiku, after winning the competition, Dukissa connected her life with television, where she is still making great strides.

The shy girl that Dukissa appeared in her first appearance has turned into a self-confident sexy beauty. Her television career is on the rise and today Nomika can be called the face of Greek show business. Among her latest achievements is the position of co-host under the wing of Femos Anastasiadis in the popular evening talk show "Όλα πρώτη φορά".

1. Greek woman

Today one can hardly agree with the often expressed assertion that the position of a married woman in ancient Greece was unworthy. This is completely false. The fallacy of this judgment lies in the perverse assessment of women. The Greeks were bad politicians in their short history, but amazing creators of life. Therefore, they prescribed the woman the restrictions that nature had assigned her. The statement that there are two types of women - mother and mistress - was adopted by the Greeks at the dawn of their civilization, and they acted in accordance with it. We will talk about the latter type later, but no less tribute should be paid to the woman-mother. When a Greek woman became a mother, she acquired the meaning of life. She faced two tasks that she considered paramount - to run a household and raise children, girls - until marriage, and boys - until they began to realize the spiritual needs of the individual. Thus, marriage meant for the Greek the beginning of the ascent to the end of life, the opportunity to get acquainted with the new generation, as well as a way to organize his life and his household. The realm of women included complete control over household affairs, in which she was the sovereign mistress. If you like, call such a marriage boring; in fact, it was so, judging by the role that modern woman plays in public life. On the other hand, it was free from falsehood and unnaturalness inherent in modern society. It is no coincidence that there are no equivalents in the Greek language for such our concepts as “flirting” and “coquetry”.

A modern man may ask if the Greek women were not overcome by a sense of despair and doom in this state of affairs. The answer will be negative. It should not be forgotten that one should not yearn for what one never had; hence, although the life of Greek women was strictly limited (but no less noble for that), they took their household duties so seriously that they simply did not have time to indulge in extraneous thoughts.

The absurdity of the assertion that the Greek woman was not of an exalted position is convincingly confirmed by the fact that in the most ancient literary scenes of married life, a woman is described in such a charming manner and with such tenderness that it is difficult to imagine. Where else in all world literature is the parting of a husband and wife described with such a poignant feeling, as in the Iliad, in the scene of Hector's farewell to Andromache:

He was already approaching, flowing through the vast Troy,

To the Skeisky gate (through them there was an exit from the city

There Andromache's wife, running, appeared to meet,

The growth of a rich house, the beautiful daughter of Etion;

This Etion dwelt at the feet of the wooded Plaka,

In Thebes of Plaki, the ruler of the Cilician husbands

sovereign;

This daughter was combined with Hector copper-armored.

The wife appeared there: behind her one of the servants

She held a son with Perseus, a completely dumb baby,

Their fruit is one, lovely, like a star

radiant.

Hector called him Scamandry; citizens of Troy

Astyanax: Hector alone was the protection of Troy.

The father smiled softly, silently looking at his son.

Andromache stood beside him, shedding tears;

She shook his hand and said these words:

“An amazing husband, your courage is ruining you! No son

You do not regret the baby, nor the poor mother; soon

I'll be a widow, unfortunate! Argive you soon

If they attack together, they will kill! And abandoned by you, Hector,

It is better for me to descend into the earth: there will be no consolation for me,

If, comprehended by fate, you leave me: my inheritance -

Sorrow! I have neither a father nor a tender mother!

My father's elder was slain by swift-footed Achilles

On a day like the hail ravaged the Cilician peoples

flowering,

Thebes are high-altitude. He himself killed Etion,

But he did not dare to expose: he was afraid of wickedness in his heart;

He betrayed the elder to be burned along with a magnificent weapon.

Created a grave over the ashes; and around the grave of that ulma

The nymphs of the hills have planted, Zeus the great daughter.

My brothers of the same blood - seven of them remained in the house -

All and in a single day moved to the abode of Hades:

All the unfortunate ones were beaten by Achilles, swift

painter,

In the herd, having caught heavy calves and white-fleece sheep.

My mother, at the valleys of the oak Plak queen,

He drew a captive into his camp with other spoils

But he gave her freedom, accepting an incalculable ransom;

Phoebe also struck my mother in her father's house!

Hector, you are everything to me now - both father and kind mother,

You and my only brother, you and my husband

beautiful!

Have pity on me and stay with us on the tower,

Do not make a son an orphan, do not make a wife a widow;

Place our host at the fig tree: there the most

The city is close to enemies and the ascent to the stronghold is convenient:

Arriving there three times, heroes encroached on awards,

Both Ajax are mighty, Idomeneo is famous,

Both Atreus are sons and Tidit, the most daring warrior.

It is true that some wise soothsayer told them

Or, perhaps, their prophetic heart itself directed them.

The famous Hector, sparkling with a helmet, answered her:

“Everything and that, wife, worries me no less;

but terrible

Shame on me before every Trojan and long-dressed

trojan,

If, as timid, I stay here, moving away from the battle.

My heart forbids me; I learned to be fearless

Bravely always among the Trojans the first to fight in battles,

Glory to the good father and earning himself!

I firmly know myself, convinced both by thought and heart,

There will be no day, and sacred Troy will perish,

Priam and the people of the spearman Priam will perish with her.

But it's not so much that I'm overwhelmed by the coming grief

Troy, Priam's parent, mother of decrepit Hecuba,

Woe to those beloved brothers, many young men and

Who will lie down in the dust under the hands of enraged enemies,

How much is yours, wife! You copper-plated Achaean,

Shedding tears, will lead to captivity and steal freedom!

And, slave, in Argos you will weave for a foreigner,

Carry water from the keys of Messiis or Hypereas,

With a bitter murmur in the soul; but will force a great need!

Shedding tears, someone will see you there and say:

Hectora is the wife of the one who excelled in bravery in battle

All the Trojan horsemen, how they fought around Ilion!

He will say - and in your heart he will arouse new bitterness:

Do you remember the husband who would protect you

from slavery!

But let me perish and be covered with dust of the earth

Before I see your ashes and your plaintive cry

Rivers - and the brilliant Hector rushed to hug his son;

But the baby is back, the rich-haired nurse to the bosom

He crouched down with a cry, frightened by his gracious father's appearance,

Frightened by bright copper and shaggy-haired crest,

Seeing his terrible helmet swaying from above.

The sweetly kind parent and tender mother smiled.

The helmet from the head is immediately removed by the divine Hector,

He lays it on the ground, magnificently shining, and, taking it in his arms

Dear son, kisses, shakes him and, lifting,

So he says, imploring both Zeus and other immortals:

"Zeus and the immortal gods! Oh, make it happen

This beloved son of mine, like me, is famous among

He is also strong in strength, and may he reign mightily in Troy.

Let them once say about him, seeing from the battle going:

He surpasses his father! And let him with bloody greed

Enter, destroyer of enemies, and make the mother's heart glad!

Rivers - and he puts his beloved wife in his arms

dear son; pressed the child to the fragrant bosom

Mother smiling through her tears. Husband was heartbroken

He embraced her and, caressing her with his hand, spoke to her thus:

"Kind! Do not break your heart with immoderate grief.

Against fate, a man will not send me to Aides;

But fate, as I remember, did not escape any earthly

Husband, neither brave nor timid, how soon into the world

he will be born.

Walk, my dear, into the house, take care of your affairs;

Take care of weaving, yarn, order your household wives

It's your job to fix it; and the war will worry the husbands

Everyone, especially me, in holy Ilion

born."

Having finished his speeches, he lifted the armored Hector from the ground

Maned helmet; And Andromache went silent to the house

Often looking back, shedding tears in a stream.

Is it possible to think of a woman, whom Homer so touchingly portrayed in the parting scene, as an unfortunate and vegetating creature? If this example is not enough for someone, let him re-read in the Odyssey the passages dedicated to his wife Penelope. How faithfully she waited for him, absent for so many agonizing years! How distressed she is to discover her defenselessness in the face of rude, unbridled and violent suitors. Dignified, a queen from head to toe, with womanly pride offended by the behavior of her suitors, she appears in their rampant society, putting them in their place with speeches that a true woman can come up with. How surprised she is at the changes in her son Telemachus, who has turned from a boy into a young man, surprised and obedient when he tells her: “Go away, take care of housekeeping, yarn, weaving, as you should; see that the slaves are diligent in their work: speaking is not a woman’s business, but a husband’s business, and now it’s mine: I’m the only ruler in my place.

How could Homer create such a charming idyll as in the scene with Nausicaa, if the Greek girl felt miserable while doing household chores? We can confine ourselves to these scenes, since the readers of this book, apparently, are familiar with the poems of Homer and will themselves recall the scenes describing the life of women in order to correctly imagine the position of a married woman in ancient Greece. Aristotle draws attention to the fact that in the works of Homer a man redeems the bride from her parents, and gifts to the bride are natural products, mostly cattle, and this, from the point of view of a modern man, perhaps should not have been done. At the same time, we should not lose sight of the reasons for the emergence of this custom: both the ancient Teutons and the Jews believed that an unmarried girl is a valuable help in the household, the loss of which must be compensated for by the family, taking her from her parental home. And besides, many passages from Homer tell how the handover of the bride took place, for which the dowry was given. Critical people may consider this custom, which still exists, in this situation even more unworthy, since the main concern of parents is to find the husband's daughter at any cost. It is remarkable that even in Homer, in the event of a divorce, the dowry is returned to the father, or he must be paid the corresponding fine. Of course, already in the time of Homer, the wife's infidelity played a big role; after all, the Trojan War was allegedly started because of Helen's infidelity to her husband Menelaus: Helen followed the handsome Paris, the son of the Phrygian king, to a foreign country. And Clytemnestra, the wife of Agamemnon, the shepherd of the peoples, allowed herself to be seduced by Aegisthus during many years of separation from her husband, and with the help of her lover, after a feigned passionate reception of the returned Agamemnon, she slaughtered him in the bath, "like a bull in a stall." The poet or, which in this case is the same thing, the naive popular perception is, of course, lenient enough to remove the guilt of adultery from these two unsuccessful marriages and explain them by the passion sent down by Aphrodite, and even more by following the fate that weighs on the house of Tantalides. ; but this in no way negates the fact that both popular leaders, the most powerful warriors, as there are poetic confirmations in Homer's poems "Iliad" and "Odyssey", were, according to generally accepted opinion, deceived husbands. Now it is easy to understand why the shadow of Agamemnon, who was killed by an insidious wife, cruelly takes revenge on the female sex. This hero opens the list of misogynists so numerous in Greek literature, which we will talk about next.

... she is indifferent

She averted her gaze also to me, departing to the region of Hades,

She didn't want to close her dull eyes and dead lips.

There is nothing more disgusting, there is nothing more hateful

Of the impudently shameless wife plotting such cunning

The thing with which she was forever disgraced, having prepared

Her husband is given death by the gods. To the fatherland I thought

I return to the joy of beloved children

and near -

Evil, on the contrary, plotting, bloody murder of the villainess

I brought shame on myself and put to shame for all time

Your gender and even all wives, their behavior

immaculate.

Menelaus perceives betrayal less tragically. After the fall of Troy, he reconciled with his runaway wife, and in the Odyssey we find him living peacefully and highly revered in his ancestral kingdom of Sparta, along with Helen, who feels no remorse when talking about the "misfortune" sent to her by Aphrodite.

“... and for a long time I mourned, the fault of Aphrodite

Freely gone to Troy from the dear land of the fatherland,

Where I left the marriage bed and daughter and wife

So gifted with a bright mind and a face of beauty.

Not only in Homer, but also in the poets of the so-called kyklichesky epic, we find a story about how Menelaus, after the conquest of Troy, wanted to pay off for offended honor and threatened Elena with a naked sword. Then she opened “the apples of her breast” before Menelaus and charmed him so much that he repented, threw away his sword and embraced the beautiful woman as a sign of reconciliation - a sweet story that was so fond of repeating later authors - Euripides and the lyric poet Ivik and which became a favorite plot of vase painting.

It should be borne in mind that all stories about married women in Homer's time refer to the lives of eminent people, kings or nobles, and we know little about the position of women of the lower strata. But if we take into account that the Homeric epic gives us a complete picture of the life of less noble people - farmers, shepherds, hunters, cattle breeders and fishermen - the fact that we do not find a mention of women here only proves that the life of a woman was limited. home and that already in those days it was possible to apply to a woman the phrase later said about a woman by Pericles: “That woman is the best, about whom in male society they talk least of all - both bad and good.”

What the Boeotian poet Hesiod tells about in the agricultural calendar, in the poem "Works and Days" regarding women, only confirms this point of view. The poet finds kind words for unmarried girls who "still remain in the house on the mother's side and are still inexperienced with the tricks of Aphrodite adorned with gold." While a cold wind rages outside, breaking tall oaks and pines, making herds and shepherds suffer from the cold, she warms her feet in her well-heated dwelling, rubs them with oil, and then peacefully falls asleep on the sheets. Of course, the poet, being himself a farmer by birth, could not rise above everyday reality, and his admonition is that a neighbor can marry somewhere at the age of thirty, and his chosen one must be nineteen years old, and she, of course, must to be a virgin - clearly proves that marriage at that time was a matter of little poetic. However, even such a limited view of a woman in those distant times shows that even among people of the lower class, marriage could not be perceived as an insignificant matter, otherwise Hesiod would hardly have spoken so emotionally that “a smart man tries everything and stops at the best in order to avoid a marriage over which his friends would slander: “A good wife is a treasure, and a thin one is the worst of tortures, which will be only a freeloader in the house and will ruin and weaken even the best of husbands.”

It is very important that already this naive simple farmer very subtly notices the peculiarities of female nature. It is not so important that he attributes all the evil of the world to a woman, stupid and envious Pandora, who, being friendly received by Epimetheus, opened the vessel and released from there all the vices of mankind sealed there, since here the poet follows the mythological tradition. However, his penchant for moralizing is very important and remarkable, since he considers it his duty to warn women against vanity, speaking out against seductresses who, twisting their buttocks, do everything to lure men with this part of the body, which the Greeks especially valued in young men and which Lucian dared called "parts of youth". The fact that the mention of such a female method of seducing a husband can be found in a simple and naive poet is very significant and suggests that at all times women have used tricks that always work flawlessly on men. Hesiod also notes that the season and temperature also influence the sex life: “When the artichoke blooms and the cicadas begin to crackle, turning the year to summer, then children are the strongest, and wine is the sweetest, women are the most voluptuous, but men are frail. because their skin dries out from the summer heat,” however, he continues, good food and wine will quickly restore their strength.

With the passage of time, the male gender increasingly came to the fore in Hellenic culture, as evidenced by the fact that real education was the lot of only boys. Mother girls were taught basic reading and writing skills, as well as the most necessary things in the household - sewing and spinning.

A little knowledge in the field of music was already the limit of the education of girls; we know nothing about the occupation of women in science, but we often hear that a married woman should not be smarter than she should be, as Hippolytus clearly expressed in the tragedy of Euripides. The Greeks were convinced that the place of girls and women is in the female half, where there is no need to be very educated. In those days, communication between men and women was not accepted, but it would be wrong to say that this was a consequence of the solitary life of women. Rather, it was the conviction that conversation with men, which the Athenians needed as their daily bread, is impossible for women, given their completely different psychological characteristics and completely different interests - this is what kept women within the female half of the house. That young girls, especially before marriage, led a secluded and joyless life, may have been a general rule, with the possible exception of Sparta. Only in isolated cases, probably at theatrical performances, in festive processions or at funerals, could girls be seen outside the home, and then, undoubtedly, there was some communication between the sexes. So, in the charming idyll of Theocritus, it is told how, during a festive procession in the grotto of Artemis, where “among many other animals” there was even a lioness, the girl saw the beautiful Daphnis and immediately fell in love with him.

Marriage gave a woman much greater freedom of movement, but the house still remained entirely in her charge. This maxim, which Euripides clothed in the words "It [already] did not become a woman [to] leave the house", is confirmed by the fact that, with the sad news of the defeat of the Athenians at Chaeronea, Athenian women did not dare to leave their homes (Lycurgus, Leocrates, 40) , and, standing on the threshold almost unconscious with grief, they asked about their husbands, fathers and brothers, but even this was considered unworthy of them and their city.

Indeed, from the passage in the Hyperides, it can be concluded that a woman was not allowed to leave the house until the man who met her asked about [whose wife she is, but only] - whose mother she is. Therefore, the turtle, on which the leg of the statue of Aphrodite Urania Phidias rested in Elis, was considered a symbol of the lot of a woman who spent her life in the narrow confines of her home. "Unmarried girls in particular should be protected, and the household is the lot of married women." In any case, the rules of decency ordered a woman to appear in public only accompanied by a gunaykonom, who was usually a trusted person from the male servants, or accompanied by a slave. It is especially touching that even Solon (Plutarch. Solon, 21) considered it necessary to stipulate this circumstance in the law, which stated that a woman appearing at a funeral or festivities “cannot wear more than three types of clothing; cannot have more than one obol with him to buy bread and drink, ”which at night can only appear on the street in a stretcher with lit torches. This custom continued even in the time of Plutarch. However, Solon, who was called wise in ancient times, certainly knew that what he had in mind in such unimportant laws was, in essence, only the assertion of male priority, which dominated the culture of antiquity.

It would be absurd to assert that such and similar rules were equally valid throughout the territory of Greece; our task was only to present a general picture in a broad framework, since we consider Greece as a kind of territorial entity, united by a common language and customs, and do not engage in a detailed examination of the differences in each individual case, due to a particular time and place.

When Euripides (Andromache, 925) strongly recommends that married men should not allow their wives to meet with other women, because they "teach them all evil", he is, of course, not alone in his opinion, but in practice everything was different. We know, for example, that women, unaccompanied by their husbands, visited the workshop of Phidias and the court of Pirilampus, a friend of Pericles. (Plutarch. Pericles, 13) to admire the magnificent peacocks. If the women greeted Pericles after his funeral speech and showered him with flowers, it follows that the already mentioned violation of decorum caused by the news of the outcome of the battle of Chaeronea is connected only with the fact that they asked passers-by for directions late at night, and not with the fact that that they were forbidden to leave the threshold of the house.

Here, as the proverb rightly says, opposites converge. Many kept their wives in the so-called gunaykonites (women's rooms), which were well guarded and closed, and Molossian dogs were kept on the threshold of the female half, and vice versa, in accordance with Herodotus, in Lydia it was not considered shameful if the girls paid for clothes with their bodies. If Spartan girls wore clothes that were rejected in the rest of Greece, with a slit to the thighs, which were exposed when walking, then in Athens, according to Aristophanes, even married women had to be kept in inner chambers so that men passing by could not accidentally see them in the window.

As already stated, the seclusion of Greek women contributed to the simplicity of their character and narrowness of outlook, confirmation of which can be found in anecdotes and tales like the one in which we are talking about the wife of King Hiero (Plutarch. On the usefulness of enemies, 7). When some ill-wisher ridiculed him for bad breath, the king ran home in anger and asked his wife why she did not point out this shortcoming of his. The wife, they say, replied, as befits an honest and modest wife: "I thought all men smelled like that." Several such anecdotes could be cited, but it is hardly worth taking them seriously, since the Greeks loved anecdotes, and, moreover, they highly honored their wives and valued in them not only sexual and childbearing functions. One thing we do not find in Greek men - what is called "chivalry." In ancient Greece, there was no difference between the words "woman" and "wife". Among them, "gune" meant a woman, regardless of age, whether she was married or not; and there was no difference when both the queen and the commoner were called "gunai" (women). At the same time, in the linguistic sense, this word means “one that gives birth to children,” and the etymology itself shows that in a woman the Greeks most of all revered the mother of their children. Only in the Roman period does the word domina (mistress) appear as an address to a woman from the ruling house (hence the French word for "lady"). The Greeks retained the word despoina (same meaning as "lady") to refer to women of high rank - the wives of kings, without applying it to ordinary women, although in her own house a woman reigned supreme and ruled over the household, being in the true sense of the word mistress, as Plato accurately depicted in a well-known passage from the Laws.

The Greeks divided women into three categories, and of course, those who did not flirt were given preference, as follows from the speech against Neera: “We have courtesans for entertainment, mistresses for daily use and married women to give birth to children and housekeeping for us ".

The position of the mistresses was different. We know women who were the full property of the owner, who could even sell them, for example, to a brothel; in the law Demosthenes speaks of, mother, wife, sister, daughter, mistress are listed in one line, from which we can conclude that the relationship between a man and his mistress could be similar to the relationship between a husband and wife. Moreover, it was only in the heroic age described by Homer that the possession of one or more concubines was common, at least among the nobility. In historical times, the admissibility of such a relationship can be challenged; in fact, many facts speak of this, and perhaps only in critical situations (such as a reduction in population due to war or pestilence) could the mistress take the same place as the wife in order to produce offspring.

That men took wives mainly in order to have offspring followed from the official betrothal formula "in order to obtain legitimate offspring" and was openly admitted by several Greek authors. (Xenophon. Memorabilia, ii, 2, 4; Demosthenes. Formion, 30). In Sparta, they went even further: “The husband of a young wife, if he had a decent and handsome young man in mind, could bring him into his bedchamber, and recognize the child born from his seed as his own.” One should agree with Plutarch when he compares the Spartan customs to use brood males for mating females and mares, the main thing is to get healthy and strong offspring. Elsewhere he tells of a certain Polyagne who was a pimp for his wife, for which he was ridiculed in a comedy, because he kept a goat, which brought him a lot of money.

There was also a cunning pimp, widely known, thanks to his speech against Neera, a certain Stefan, who lured rich strangers, using the charms of his young wife. If the stranger fell for this ruse, Stefan knew how to arrange to catch the couple in a compromising situation, after which he demanded a significant amount from the young man who was caught in the act in flagrante delicto. In the same way, he pimped using his daughter: from a certain Epenet, whom he found in bed with her, he received 30 minutes. We often find similar situations in ancient literature, and there must have been many such cases that writers do not mention. The fact that lovers, taken by surprise, preferred to pay off, is explained by the fact that in such cases the law obliged them to pay a large fine for seducing a married woman or a girl of impeccable reputation. We will talk about these penalties later.

In a place like Athens, and indeed in the rest of Greece, marriage, at least according to Plato, was considered an obligation to the gods; the citizen had to leave behind children who would worship the same gods. It was also considered a moral obligation to contribute to the prosperity of the state by supplying it with a new generation of citizens. In fact, we do not have confirmed information about laws that would make marriage an obligation of a citizen, as was the case in Sparta; Solon, they say, refused to introduce such laws, saying that this was not consistent with his views on the relationship of the sexes and that a woman should not be a dead weight in a man's life. If Plato raises marriage to the level of the requirements of the law and wants a single man to pay for celibacy with a fine and loss of civil rights, he takes, as he often does in the Laws, the side of the Spartans, who not only have an unmarried, but also late married should be punished, as well as those who entered into a bad marriage, as a result of which defective children were born, or such a marriage that turned out to be childless, these should be punished especially severely. The law, according to which the legislator Lycurgus introduces punishment for bachelors, provided the following: “They were not allowed to hymnopedia; in winter, by order of the authorities, they had to walk naked around the square, singing a song composed by them in reproach (the song says that they suffer just retribution for disobeying the laws), and, finally, they were deprived of those honors and respect, which youth rendered to the elders.

When a certain young man did not stand up at the appearance of the famous but unmarried Spartan commander Derkillid and irreverently said “you did not give birth to anyone who would later give way to me”, then his behavior was universally approved. Such punishments and humiliations seem to have had little effect in Sparta; the number of unmarried men in Greece was quite large for various reasons: many did not want to marry, either striving for a quiet life, not burdened with worries about his wife and children, or because of the natural rejection of women. In this sense, the conversation between Periplectomenos and Palestrion in Plautus's "Boastful Warrior" is characteristic:

P e r i p l e c t o m e n

By the grace of the gods, accept than a guest, I have everything,

Eat and drink with me together, rejoice your soul,

The house is free, I am free and I want to live freely.

By the will of the gods, I'm rich, I could have a wife

From the good to take the family and with a dowry, only now

There is no desire to let your grumpy grandmother into the house.

P l e v s i k l

Why don't you want to? It's nice to have kids.

P e r i p l e c t o m e n

And being free to be yourself is even sweeter.

P alestrion

You are a wise man, and you will think about others and about yourself.

P e r i p l e c t o m e n

It would be good to introduce a good wife, if somewhere

It is possible to find it. And why take such

What he won’t say: “Friend, buy me wool, weave a raincoat for you.

Soft, warm, for the winter - a good tunic,

So that you do not freeze in winter! Never hear

From the wife of such a word! Not! But before the cock

She will scream, she got up from the bed, she will say this:

"Husband! Give me a gift for my mother on New Year's Eve,

Yes come on for a treat, yes come on Minervin's day

For the fortune-teller, the priestess and the prophetess.

And the trouble is, if you don’t give them: they will lead their eyebrows like that!

Without a gift, you will not let the corrugator go;

Having received nothing, the ironer gets angry,

Complaint from the midwife: they gave her little!

"How! You don’t want to give the nurse at all what is messing around

With the slave boys? These and similar

Numerous expenses of women interfere with me

Get yourself a wife to sing this song to me.

P alestrion

God's grace be with you! Cause freedom is worth it

To lose, it's not so easy to get her back!

If very many reasoned something like this, then, on the other hand, a certain number of young girls in Greece represented a certain group, which, thanks to the eternal struggle of individual policies among themselves, which claimed the lives of many and sometimes the best men, remained out of work. It can be imagined that women who have never known marriage, old maids, were not rare in Greece, and if our authors do not enter into details about this unfortunate type of women, it is only because in Greek literature the woman generally plays a subordinate role, especially an old maid. However, already in Aristophanes we find Lysistrata’s complaint: “But the time for a poor woman is not long, and when they don’t take her by the deadline, / Then no one will be tempted by her, and the old woman sits and wonders.”

The fate of an old maid is in some way similar to that of a childless bachelor; in both cases, nature does not continue here. Hence, it is quite natural that in Greece they resorted to the help of the institution of adoption quite often, in addition, in those days there was another additional reason to adopt a child, namely the desire to leave behind someone who would bring sacrifices and gifts to parental graves.

Plutarch says that according to the laws of Lycurgus in Sparta, frail and ugly children were attributed to a cliff on Taiget, believing that neither they nor the state needed their life. Even in Athens, this was not unheard of, especially for girls. These children were left in large earthenware vessels, usually so that helpless babies could be discovered and picked up by childless people or those who loved children very much. There were also frequent cases of selling children to those women who could not have children, but did not want to lose their husbands. The new comedy, in which the story of child swapping is constantly present, may serve as confirmation that such cases were quite common. As an identification mark, such children were usually left with an ornament or a ring, so that later, under appropriate circumstances, they could be recognized. This kind of recognition happens all the time in comedies.

Before proceeding to a description of the marriage ceremony in Greece, let us remind the reader of the speech of Ischmachus by Xenophon, addressed to his young wife, in which he explains to her her duties with enviable simplicity. The essence of this instruction is that the wife should be strict and sober; she must know how to make clothes, be familiar with how to properly prepare wool for spinning, and also give clear orders to servants. The money and property that the husband has acquired, she must protect and spend wisely. Her main duty will be to give birth and raise children; like a queen bee, she must give orders to slaves according to their capabilities - men and women, but she is also obliged to monitor the health and well-being of the servants. She must teach the household servants to properly perform their duties, leading them wisely and justly. Plutarch's short treatise "Advice to Newlyweds" is dedicated to his recently married friend and contains amazing instructions that can be used today.

From the book Ancient Greece author Lyapustin Boris Sergeevich

THE GREAT GREEK COLONIZATION The archaic era was marked by such an important event in the history of Hellas as the Great Greek colonization, when the Greeks founded many cities and settlements on the shores of the Mediterranean and Black Seas. So Greek civilization

From the book Ancient Greece author Lyapustin Boris Sergeevich

GREEK LITERATURE The Hellenistic world produced a huge amount of literary works. All kinds and genres were represented. But the first place was occupied by poetry, the main center of which was Alexandria. The poetry of that time was elitist. She was very

From the book Book of Changes. The fate of Petersburg toponymy in urban folklore. author Sindalovsky Naum Alexandrovich

Greek Square 1788. In the 18th century, lashings existed in prison practice. The execution was carried out with ritual thoroughness. The doomed were seated with the backs of their heads to the horse on the so-called cart of fate and solemnly transported through the whole city to the square, which

From the book The Conquest of America by Ermak-Cortes and the rebellion of the Reformation through the eyes of the "ancient" Greeks author Nosovsky Gleb Vladimirovich

5.1. The "ancient" Greek version Almost immediately after the death of Prexaspes, the conspiracy of noble Persians against the magician False Smerdis enters its final phase. The seven main conspirators begin to act. Here is the story of Herodotus, which we will briefly summarize, omitting numerous

From the book The Army of Alexander the Great the author Second Nick

Greek infantry The Hellespont was crossed by 7,000 Greek infantry. They were sent by countries - participants of the Corinthian Union; each contingent consisted of epilects (epilektoi - selected) selected from the state armies, and was controlled by its own officers. All connection

From the book On Berlin. In search of traces of lost civilizations author Russova Svetlana Nikolaevna

the author Men Alexander

From the book History of Religion in 2 volumes [In Search of the Way, Truth and Life + Ways of Christianity] the author Men Alexander

From the book History of World Religions author Gorelov Anatoly Alekseevich

From the book History of the Ancient World [East, Greece, Rome] author Nemirovsky Alexander Arkadievich

Greek Science It is important to note that Hellenic science, which developed within the framework of conditions free from religious dogma, was deeply secular and rational. It was the Greeks who laid the foundation for many of the most important branches of modern fundamental sciences -

From the book History of Cavalry. author Denison George Taylor

Chapter 2. Greek cavalry

From the book of Jesus. The Mystery of the Birth of the Son of Man [compilation] by Conner Jacob

The Greek Galilee Of all the non-Jewish influences within and outside of Galilee, the Greek was the most pervasive and significant. In the New Testament, one could read about the Decapolis without thinking about the extent and fullness of its Greek spirit. This area

From the book Myths and mysteries of our history author Malyshev Vladimir

Greek "Pravda" Greek journalists accused the major publisher Yanis Yannikos, who at one time owned a controlling stake in the newspaper "Pravda" in Moscow, in connection with the KGB. According to newspaper publications, Yannikos allegedly took part in the KGB publishing operation in Greece

From the book Chronology of the author

Greek Chronology How did the Greeks calculate their ancient history.[We list:]? Kings of the Athenians.? Kings of the Argives.? Kings of the Sicyonians.? The kings of the Lacedaemonians.? Kings of the Corinthians? Who ruled the sea, and for how long.? How do Greeks consider each of the Olympics.? The first kings of the Macedonians.? Thessalian

Who is she - a woman of Greece? An ordinary woman who will support the hearth and raise children? Or a golden-haired goddess, stately, graceful in a tunic and gold jewelry, with a high hairdo, knowledgeable in the sciences and talented in the arts? Are historians still divided? How did young and married women differ? Who was the man in the family, and who was the woman? At what age did Greek women get married?

The woman of Ancient Greece has long served as a standard of beauty for Europeans. Her unearthly beauty was inspired by sculptors and artists who depicted in art the images of Aphrodite, Athena or Demeter. Stately, slender, graceful, with a swan neck, dressed in a flowing chiton, golden curls in a high hairstyle, decorated with ribbons and a diadem. Almost a goddess descended from Mount Olympus...

Greek hetaera should not be confused with prostitutes ("pornai"). The latter performed only one function, and hetaeras also entertained men with conversation, dancing and singing. They were also on military campaigns, like Thais, who gave the signal to set fire to Persepolis conquered by Alexander the Great.

Reliable information about what a woman of this period looked like has not been preserved. A conjectural description is given in the literature. Also, figurines and reconstructed frescoes of the Knossos Palace in Crete can provide some guidance. Cretan women had an unnaturally narrow waist, were of short stature and graceful physique. They hid their faces in the shade, which made the skin pale, and its background was black eyes and hair. Women wore curls framing the neck, curls gathered on the forehead, or braids with woven ribbons. On their heads, the Cretan women wore magnificent hats (similar to the hats of the 19th century). Feet were often bare, but upper-class women sometimes wore embroidered leather shoes.

The dress was exquisite. Skirts were decorated with flounces. They expanded to the bottom, fixed with metal hoops. The waist was tightly pulled together by a corset, and above it, bare breasts were revealed. Moreover, a magnificent collar could show off at the neck. The women of the Minoan era, as in our day, adorned themselves with all kinds of jewelry made of copper, gold and stones. These are earrings, rings, bracelets, tiaras, etc.

In a short story about a Minoan woman, it is worth saying that she occupied an equal position with men in society. She attended theaters, games, freely left the house. Found cult figurines often depict goddesses. The Cretans worshiped the image of a woman-mother.

According to the myth, the question of the patron of Athens was decided by voting. The men chose Poseidon and the women Athena, and there was one more woman. Then Poseidon devastated the earth in waves, and the Athenians punished women: deprived of the right to vote, forbade calling them Athenians and forbade children to take the name of their mother.

An important part of the attire of Greek women was a tunic (chiton), which descended to the floor. Young girls tied a belt at the waist, married women - above the waist, under the breasts. The hands were bare. On her feet - sandals, in which the leg looked almost naked. It was a suit for the house, but for the street it was considered not quite decent and too simple. To exit, a himation was required - a large piece of matter - which was thrown from the top and was called either peplos (wide and made of thick matter) or calyptra (narrow and thin).

The main art was the ability to beautifully drape this matter on oneself. The style of the outfit changed simply: either the fabric was thrown over the head, and one end was thrown over the shoulder or covered the lower part of the face, or the fabric was folded back at the waist and hung on half-bent arms. There were many options.

Hairstyles were also varied. Some curls fell freely, others tied the ends of the hair. Complex hairstyles were made with the help of braid, hairpieces, headbands, hairpins and nets. Hair was scented with incense and curled. Hair coloring was also known to the Greeks. They knew how to turn into brunettes or blondes. In the course were wigs and overlays.

Women, in order to become more beautiful, whitened and blushed. To get taller, they wore high-heeled shoes. They loved jewelry and used other tricks to embellish themselves. Fortunately, there was enough time for this, since women mostly sat at home and looked after the household. Household work was done by slaves.

But Spartan women were distinguished by simplicity in clothes. They wore sleeveless tunics that barely reached the knees. Spartan women were strong, determined, healthy and energetic, because. from childhood they were trained in running, jumping, wrestling, throwing discs and darts, as well as dancing and singing. Elements of the Greek style were used more than once in the fashion of subsequent centuries.

In ancient Greece, boys were educated in schools and girls at home. In fact, there is evidence that women have always been educated at home, with the exception of music and dance lessons. Often taught by their husbands, brothers or fathers, some Greek women became famous due to their high level of education. But this phenomenon was not very common. Women in ancient Greece were needed mainly to take care of the well-being of families, and they were not allowed to spend too much time on education.

The main idea was that women didn't need formal education because they didn't compete with men. The fallacy of this idea was that women needed to support the work of men, and without education they were not able to provide sufficient support and education for their children.

In ancient Greece, girls before marriage sacrificed their hair to Athena-Virgo as a symbol of parting with girlhood.

A special category of ancient Greek women who attended special schools, where they learned entertainment, conversation and oratory, was the Geter group. Due to the fact that such women accompanied men during their conversations and feasts, it was necessary for them to be more educated in order to match the level of the chosen men.

However, these women were not considered city dwellers. Those who did not have the honor of being educated were considered slaves (male or female). An interesting fact is that if such people received an education before becoming slaves, they were entitled to work and could get their freedom back. Girls were taught weaving and various household chores, such as dance, music and physical education. The girls who were going to join the Geter group mentioned above also studied grammar, oratory and dialectics.

Although modern women, after reading about the educational system of ancient Greece, might think that the Greeks did not pay attention to women, there is historical evidence that, in fact, Greek women were considered the most educated women of all other cultures, which continued until the 19th century. According to sociologists and anthropologists, culture includes skills that are transmitted through education and developed through discipline and practice.

The women of Ancient Greece always had their own culture in running the family hearth and raising children. From childhood, they were already educated, and this gave them an advantage over other cultures, where women began to study much later. At that distant time in Greece, the difference between the education of men and women was that women had a certain subculture, which included special religious holidays and celebrations.

A woman in ancient Greece was in the female part of the house - the gyno - with children and slaves. It was the wife's duty to watch over the slaves, to control the cooking, but most importantly, not to interfere in her husband's private life. The wife spun, wove, was engaged in raising children and preparing for family holidays.

It is interesting that some Greek women even managed to play the main role in such entertainment popular at that time as the ancient Greek theater, where all the roles were played by men. Music has been one of the main facets of women's learning. We all know that modern polyphony began in Ancient Greece, which means there is an assumption that the music of the Greek women was greatly influenced.

Despite the fact that Greece is considered the birthplace of democracy, women in ancient times had almost no rights there. Even the right to vote was gained by Greek women only in the 20th century, since it was believed that a woman was too irresponsible and stupid for such questions. The monogamy established in ancient Greece did not particularly improve the position of women. The master was a man. When she married, a woman simply passed from one guardian to another. And, having become a widow, a woman transferred all rights to her eldest son.

Greek women married, of course, not out of love and did not choose their own spouse. Most did not see their future husband at all before the wedding. Fifteen years was considered the normal age for a girl to marry, while a man must be at least thirty to marry. Marriage imposed obligations on only one of the parties. After marriage, the man did not deny himself communication with mistresses and courtesans. He could publicly disown his wife, and that was enough for him to get a divorce, provided he was willing to pay back the dowry.

Greek getters chose their own partners. In Athens, there was a special wall with proposals - Keramik, where men wrote proposals for a date to getters. If the woman agreed, then she signed the hour of the date under the proposal.

It was very difficult for the woman herself to get a divorce, it was only allowed through a court order if evidence was provided about the scandalous misdeeds of her husband. During the divorce, the children stayed with their father. After all, children, in fact, were the purpose of marriage (of course, the noble position of the bride's family and material wealth also played a role).

Wars turned out to be quite a lucrative business, and men wanted the wealth they won to go to their rightful heirs, and not to the children of mistresses or hetairas, whose paternity could be doubted. To be sure of the fidelity of their wives, the Greeks assigned their slaves to look after them. The woman was not allowed to go anywhere alone. Even on rare trips to her parents, a woman had to be accompanied by someone.

In ancient Greece, the female body was evaluated according to parameters that were close to modern ones. Beauty was considered one of the highest manifestations of the generosity of the gods - beautiful people, both women and men, enjoyed no less respect and popularity than a statesman or a famous commander. There was a special stratum in society, which was made up of the most beautiful people - they were respected and respected inspirers of creative people and poets. Songs, poems were dedicated to them, sculptors created statues from them.

mathematical beauty

The ancient Greeks had a special love for mathematics and geometry, which is why absolutely all the parameters of the beauty of Greek women (and not only them) received an exact expression in terms of proportions. However, sculptors and artists developed their own modules and canons, which they used to create their creations.

Beauty and ethics

It should be noted that in Ancient Greece it was forbidden to depict an absolutely naked female body - it was believed that this degrades the dignity of a woman and looks obscene. That is why many sculptures were covered with decoration elements carved from stone (parts of clothing and imitation of fabric drapery, etc.) and were only partially exposed. Aphrodite Praxiteles and Aphrodite de Milo remain very rare exceptions to the rule. The authors of these sculptures managed to avoid the condemnation of society: so that these works of art would not gain a bad reputation, the sculptors depicted women during the preparation for bathing.

Women in Greek mythology

The supremacy and former greatness of the feminine can be judged by such images of Greek mythology as Leto, Athena, Hera and Aphrodite.

With the advent of the cult of the goddess of love, there was a leap in the development of art: in ancient Greece, they began to pay attention to the depiction of a naked body in sculpture, frescoes and paintings. At the initial stage, the goddess Aphrodite differed from the rest of the gods of the Greek pantheon in that she was depicted completely naked. She was a beautiful maiden with long hair like liquid gold, fine and delicate features, and emerald-colored eyes. In addition, she possessed eternal youth and was graceful and graceful, like a doe.

Aphrodite

Since the period of Ancient Greece, there is one story of the creation of a sculpture of the goddess of love and beauty - Aphrodite. Praxiteles, one of the most talented creators of graceful statues of the human body, created it in the image of his beloved. For this, he was summoned to court and accused of sacrilege, since according to the laws of that time it was forbidden to portray the gods from human images, and even more so - to associate with the goddess through a mortal woman. It was believed that the gods could be angry with people for such oversights and in anger destroy everyone who lives in the city.

In his defense, Praxiteles brought Phryne, his beloved, to court with him. Taking off her clothes in front of everyone present, the sculptor asked why they think that her body is not divine and what are the flaws in it? Convinced of the beauty of Phryne's body, the judges could not find arguments and were forced to grant freedom to the master.

in men

The concept of attractiveness in men of Ancient Greece was also clearly drawn up. A toned, athletic body was held in high esteem, because the Greeks were adherents of a healthy lifestyle. An example of imitation for them was the gods of Olympus - they were initially considered an ideal to be achieved. It was customary for young people to wear long wavy hair tied with a silk ribbon or a hoop, and to cleanly shave their faces. As they matured, men were allowed to grow beards and their hairstyles became shorter.

The beauty ideal of Greek women

As mentioned earlier, the ideal of attractiveness in antiquity was an athletic, absolutely proportional body. For a Greek woman, high deployed shoulders, height, a slightly expanded pelvis, a wasp waist, slender legs and a flat, toned stomach were a big advantage. The combination of a high forehead, blue eyes and blond hair was considered very beautiful. The nose of Greek women was supposed to be straight with a small hump. The statue of Aphrodite de Milo falls under this description. She personified the highest natural perfection and was the ideal of beauty. The sculpture depicts a slender girl with a graceful posture. Her height is 164 cm, and the volumes of the hips, waist and chest, respectively, are 86, 69 and 93 cm.

face beauty

Proportionality and symmetry of the face was given great importance. The flawless face could be conditionally divided into three identical parts along the lines of the eyebrows and the tip of the nose. As already mentioned, blue-eyed blondes with hair that climbed into a low-cut but elegant bun were considered beautiful.

Greek Profile

The Greek profile is a special interpretation of the profile of a person's face, which is part of the canon of the sculpture of ancient Greece of the Hellenistic and classical eras. It is also one of the most important characteristics of the attractiveness of that period.

A distinctive feature is the line of the nose, which goes straight into the forehead with almost no emphasis on the bridge of the nose. If a helmet is worn on the head, then this line merges with it too. A relatively heavy chin is also noted.

It is extremely difficult to meet people with a similar appearance in real life, even among modern Greeks. General type: high compact nose, developed cheekbones, rectangular eye sockets, narrow nasal area, rectangular face. Using the expression "Greek profile" in spoken language to describe someone's beauty is not true, because in fact, usually people just want to express admiration for the purity of the lines of the profile of the person they are describing. It is worth noting that "Greek profile" is a synonym "long nose" thinking this way is a common mistake.

Analyzing the Greek profile, Hegel comes to the conclusion that the “animal” features that are inherent in the head are maximally smoothed out in it: cheekbones, chewing muscles, mouth, reminiscent of human physiology, and, conversely, emphasis is placed on features that denote mental activity, - First of all, it's a beautiful forehead. In such a face, the proportions of which are in perfect harmony, the usually not very high forehead receives an expression of stubborn concentration of mind and firmness, testifying to the high merits of a person.

As for the female face, according to the main canons that define the idea of ​​beauty, it was considered beautiful if a Greek woman had a straight nose, and her eyes were wide open and large, the distance between them should not be less than the size of one eye. Large eyes were skillfully emphasized by rounded arches of the eyebrows. All this had to be framed by smooth lines of the chin, nose and low forehead. The hair was not cut off, but laid in a neat hairstyle tied with a silk ribbon at the back of the head.

Greek diet

Greek women paid great attention to their appearance. They are known to have a special fondness for food, so it is not surprising that they possessed curvaceous figures. However, in order for the forms to be just seductive, similar in shape to an hourglass, Greek women try to monitor their diet. That is why Greek women in the photo look so harmonious. Among the national Greek dishes, you can see many recipes from meat, fish and vegetables. No wonder Greek women are beautiful. All over the world, nutritionists have repeatedly paid attention to the fact that Greek cuisine is a model of separate nutrition: here eggplants are baked with potatoes, cheeses are eaten with tomatoes, and meat and fish are eaten separately from each other and without a side dish.

Greek character

Greek women (and not only them, by the way, men too) are bright individualists who have their own view of this life and are not afraid to oppose it to the opinion of society. They have a habit of defending only personal interests and in most cases they are neutral towards cultural, economic and political events that do not affect their personal world.

What certainly no Greek will tolerate is an attack on the freedoms of his country and on his personal freedom. This is not surprising, since the worship of democracy is in the blood of the modern inhabitants of Hellas. If there is the slightest hint of an infringement of its rights, the Greek population can turn into a formidable force that is ready to rush at the enemy.

Another typical Greek trait is a pronounced emotionality. To express their feelings, the Greeks do not see the need for half measures. If they cry, then sobbing, and if they laugh, then from the heart. Even the famous steadfastness and thoughtfulness of the Greek fishermen is only a confirmation of this feature of their character, since only very emotional people can immerse themselves in their inner world with the same passion with which they would indulge in fun and joy at their own daughter's wedding.

It is also necessary to pay attention to the famous Greek hospitality, elevated by the Greeks themselves to the rank of a national tradition revered with special trepidation. Arriving in Greece, you will encounter this at almost every turn. The waiters with great pleasure and joy will explain to you which dishes the chef especially managed to prepare today, the shop assistants will accept your order with a polite and kind smile, and the hotel staff will surround you with attention and real home care. If you have business partners or friends in Greece, and you need to come to visit them, get ready for a meeting, in comparison with which even the much-praised Russian hospitality will fade. It will not be just an ordinary dinner, but a real feast, where tables will burst with delicious dishes, wine will flow like a river, and there will be no end to songs and dances.

It is very funny that also in the Greek character two more absolutely opposite features are harmoniously combined with each other: the famous business acumen of the Greeks and the no less famous Greek piety.

Greek clothing

The ancient Greeks not only achieved great success in various areas of culture, but also succeeded in the art of dressing well: they were the first to come to the idea that people in their splendor are like gods, and the human body is a mirror reflecting the ideals of the universe.

The main elements of the national costume in Ancient Greece were: a himation, which is a cape that was draped to emphasize the figure, and a chiton, which was underwear. Based on the requirements of morality and morality of that era, the clothes for Greek women were longer than men's and covered almost the entire body. It also consisted of a himation and a tunic, but was much more colorful and brighter. However, wearing colorful clothes was not welcomed by the Greeks. To make a one-color outfit more interesting, it was decorated with intricate ornaments and embroidery.

Today, clothes for women in the Greek style are not only a part of the history of the country, but also the inspirer of designers and fashion designers from all over the world to create creations of modern fashion art that attract fashionistas with their elegance and lightness.

Whoever, no matter how Greek women - the descendants of goddesses and hetaerae, were destined to become the keepers of the most ancient secrets of beauty. According to the Greeks, it is possible to easily break men's hearts at any age - the main thing is to be closer to the origins and correctly use the gifts of a powerful nature.

Greek olive oil

When you think of Greece, the first thing that comes to mind is olive oil. And indeed, there is an endless supply of oil in any Greek house. Residents of the Mediterranean coast and cook in olive oil, and fill it with national salads, and use it as much as possible in beauty recipes.

A particularly hot climate has a detrimental effect on the thin skin of the face, and in order to avoid mimic wrinkles, Greek women lubricate their face, neck and décolleté with olive oil at night. It smoothes, nourishes and retains the skin's essential moisture.

Gift of the gods

In the national storehouse of secrets that mothers pass on to their daughters, there are two of the most important recipes for masks - it is believed that they have been preserved since ancient Greece.

Recipe 1. Two tablespoons of pea flour obtained from peas ground in a coffee maker, mix with whey until a slurry is formed and apply on the face for 15-20 minutes. Rinse with herbal decoction or tonic.

Recipe 2. Mix a teaspoon of olive oil and cottage cheese, add parsley juice and apply the mixture on your face for the standard 15-20 minutes. Such a mask is able to quickly moisturize the face - the skin will become soft and supple in an instant.

Soap affairs

Unlike other European women, except, perhaps, Spanish and Italian women, Greek women are the owners of thick and thick hair. Due to constant contact with the salty sea, the hair of beauties becomes even tougher over time, but at the same time, Greek women are proud of such hair.

Most modern residents of Greece prefer special olive soap in their skin care products, rather than shampoo. A wonderful bar perfectly washes away fats, but at the same time retains a certain stiffness of the hair - soft curls are especially not liked here. And the best hair mask, of course, is oil - pink or olive, which Greek women apply on their heads, avoiding the root zone.

Sun protection

All Greek women learn from childhood that the open sun is the cause of premature aging. Therefore, in the bag of every beauty there will be at least two products with SPF protection. By the way, during a siesta (at the height of the most dangerous, hot sun), Greek women try not to appear on the street, protecting their even so prepared skin from possible burns. Recently, women have begun to give preference to modern BB and CC creams, thereby coping with several beauty needs at once.

Not a day without water!

Another beauty secret that Greek women have honored since ancient times is the undeniable benefits of baths. If you watch films about the ancient Greek gods, you will notice that even then there was a whole bath complex in every palace and house. A bath for a Greek beauty is a whole ritual: she is never taken on the run. Most often, women here prepare herbal concentrated decoctions, which are added to the water. The most healing are the series and chamomile. And if it is necessary to restore the elasticity of the body, then honey with rose oil is also added to the broth. By the way, Greek women never wash themselves with just water, believing that tap water harms the skin. Therefore, makeup here is washed off only with a decoction of herbs.

Greek diet

Greek women are known for their passion for food and rather curvaceous figures. But in order for the silhouette to be just seductive, similar to the shape of an hourglass, Greek women carefully monitor their menu. In Greece, women cook a lot and deliciously, but among the national dishes one can note a large number of recipes from vegetables, fish and meat. Nutritionists around the world have repeatedly noted that Greek cuisine is the standard of separate nutrition: here cheeses are eaten with tomatoes, eggplants are baked with potatoes, and fish and meat are eaten separately from each other, and even without the side dish familiar to Europe.

So that it would not be unbearably difficult to observe a strict diet, the Greek women came up with the Sabbath rule. Only on this day they allow themselves to eat bread in unlimited quantities, enjoy sweets and mix foods on the menu.

Greek cosmetics from an online boutique: