ABSTRACT
Looked at from the perspective of its cultural meaning, Greek marriage functions as an important element of the social order that controls sexuality and organizes the natural impulse of humans to reproduce. Among the ancient Greek orators one finds courtroom speeches in which the issue of adultery and sexual laxness is inevitably intertwined with those of citizenship and property. Several stories from ancient Greek literature show the destructive consequences of male infidelity. Rather than a private relationship, marriage for the Greeks is a cultural construct. Its main purpose is to harness and control the force of eros, particularly female sexuality. Marriage exploits women's procreative power to provide citizens for the city and distribute property while also limiting the scope of eros. From the Greek perspective, the wife and her sexuality had to be understood in the context of the household, the social and political structure that formed the basic building block of the whole culture.
