According to the assigned readings, in antiquity, there were ideals formulated about Greek marriages and there were the realities of Greek marriages. First I will explain the ideals and purposes of marriage, according to Plutarch and Xenophon, respectively. Plutarch states that the most important topic of philosophy is the discourse of marriage . My understanding of his discourse is that the union between male and female is necessary. The purpose of this union is for reproduction, as well as, the need for love . Plutarch goes on to explain the ideal roles of the husband and the wife.
Plutarch describes in great detail the essential qualities each member of this union will need to bring into the marriage, or learn, in order to make the marriage a successful one. However, we will examine only those qualities that I believe are most important. First, married couples should enter a marriage with the understanding that, at times, there will be differences and arguments. It is the responsibility of both members to talk these differences out, in order to have a successful marriage. If couples are going to argue, it should not take place in public, and the opposite is also true, that couples should not hide their affection towards one another in public. Plutarch also states that neither member should marry for wealth nor shall they enter marriage for beauty. Another important aspect of a good marriage is that people in love share a natural unity, as that they should share everything else including property, family, and friends. Finally, the ideal couple must connect and mature intellectually, in addition to, being attracted physically. .
The preceding paragraph explains some of the important qualities a married couple must share in order to be successful. However, the roles each member assumes as an individual are equally important. Let us briefly explain these roles of the male and female role, respectively.