Read the passage.
A Grecian Wedding
Agatha's sister, Demetria, was just 14 years old when her father informed her that she was to be married. This practice was not uncommon in ancient Greece. Many parents selected husbands for their teenage daughters, and grooms were often considerably older than brides. Agatha had known this day would probably come, and when it did she was anything but happy about it. Demetria was only a year older than Agatha. Demetria's getting married meant Agatha was next in line to wed. The thought of her sister's arranged marriage terrified Agatha-so much so that she considered running away to avoid the same fate. But Agatha also knew that this rebellious thought alone was enough to anger the gods. She was a girl, and the beliefs and customs prescribed by the gods required girls to obey their parents.
Agatha certainly appreciated the life her parents had given her. While her friends and their mothers were content to learn about fashion design and spent their time talking about clothing and jewelry, Agatha had been allowed to study reading, writing, and math with a home tutor. Still, she was envious of her brother, who had been going to school since he was 7 years old and had learned all the important subjects, as well as the arts of poetry recitation and public speaking. But Agatha soaked up every moment with her teacher and dreamed of becoming a scholar and even a respected orator, delivering important speeches to great crowds.
She kept these dreams to herself, though, never telling a soul how she felt, because it wasn't proper. Instead, when her father announced Demetria's engagement-saying the marriage would be "a fine match and a great investment that will make the family even richer and more prestigious"-she smiled and bit her tongue. Hearing her father talk about her sister's future like it was a business deal broke Agatha's heart. She knew that neither she nor her sister needed him or a husband to take care of or make decisions for her, and the thought of running away bubbled up again in her mind.
But then she began to think about what it would mean to disobey her father, imagining how upset the gods would be with her for not following her parents' will. She remembered the Greek legend of Arachne, a girl who proclaimed she was better at spinning clothing than Athena, the goddess of war and wisdom who was known for having a temper. When Athena heard of Arachne's boasting, she flew into a rage and turned Arachne into a spider. From then on, Arachne could spin only webs. The prospect of angering Athena like that made Agatha shudder, and she thought maybe she should swallow her pride and accept her father's plans for his daughters.
The wedding festivities came and lasted several days. On the day of the marriage ceremony, there was a feast, at which Demetria gave up her childhood possessions to represent her journey into adulthood. While Demetria made these offerings to the gods and goddesses, Agatha made a special plea to Athena not to be angry with her for her rebellious thoughts. Then she watched as her sister rode to her new husband's home in a chariot, flanked by torches lighting her way into her new life. After the procession, the chariot was broken into pieces and burned, symbolizing that Demetria was leaving her parents' home forever.
Agatha was pleased to see that Demetria's new husband was kind and that he encouraged his bride to help break the chariot into pieces and even to make a short speech to the wedding guests. Demetria had always looked forward to this kind of traditional marriage and seemed genuinely happy, which warmed Agatha's heart. But in that same heart, Agatha couldn't shake the feeling that she wanted something different for her own life. She thought for a moment about the two roads in front of her, and then, knowing that the gods might very well punish her for it, she made her decision.
How does this passage reflect an important cultural viewpoint common in ancient Greek society?
- By suggesting that a character's decision to reject the wishes of her father might lead the gods to punish her, it reflects the ancient Greek view that the deities actively participated in human affairs.
- By depicting the parents in the passage as cruel and uncaring, it reflects the ancient Greek view that young people should be willing to challenge or stand up to their elders.
- By showing the arranged marriage to, ultimately, be a happy one, it reflects the ancient Greek view that all people can learn to live in harmony.
- By alluding to a widely known myth, it reflects the ancient Greek view that all human problems are minor compared to those of the gods.