Daily Life of the Ancient Greeks

The People 79
met earlier, tells us that he gave his wife the following advice soon
after they were married:
You must stay indoors and send out the slaves whose work is outside.
Those who remain and do chores inside the house are under your charge.
You are to inspect everything that enters it and distribute what is needed,
taking care not to be extravagant. . . . When the slaves bring in wool, you
must see that it is used for those who need cloaks. You must take care of
the grain-store and make sure that the grain is edible. One of your less
pleasant tasks is to find out whenever one of the slaves becomes sick and
see that they are properly looked after. (Xenophon, Household Management
7.35–37)
As this passage indicates, it was the mistress of the house who was
in charge of the domestic arrangements and who was held accountable
if anything went amiss.
In addition to running the home, a wife was expected to contribute
to its economy by plying the distaff (i.e., spinning by hand) and
working the loom. Spinning and weaving were regarded as essential
accomplishments in a woman, not least because most garments
were made in the home.
Garments were made as follows: The wool was first cleaned and
scoured. Then the matted fibers were separated from one another
with a comb by means of a semicircular instrument known as an
epinitron, which fitted over the thigh and knee, providing a slightly
roughened surface upon which the wool could be teased out. The
wool was then dyed in a vat. Next it was spun by hand using a
Mistress and slave in the home. Courtesy akg-images, London.