Women and Hellenismos: The Publication of ‘Evridiki’

Abstract

In the 1870s, Greeks had more practical reasons than ever to return to the issue, adopting a new idea of womanliness and building their national ideals around it. The nation relied upon its female members to transmit the ‘mother tongue’ and the nation’s values to its obedient (both male and female) members, thus, the literary advancement of Hellenides through Greek language and literature was considered vital. Concerns about the role of women in society were soon among the favourite topics of cultural associations in Ottoman lands, as indicated by the following public lectures in Constantinople in 1871: M. Pantazis, ‘Peri paidevtikis dynameos ton Hellenikon grammaton’ (‘On the Educational Power of Greek Literacy in the East’), M. Grigoriadis, ‘Peri tis ithikopoiou dynameos tou Hristianismou’ (‘On the Moral Power of Christianity’), A. Grigoriadis, ‘Peri tis koinonikis theseos tis gynaikos’ (‘On the Place of Women in Society’), K. Plithonidis, ‘Peri proorismou tis gynaikos’ (‘On Women’s Mission’) and I. Georgiadis, ‘Peri kathikonton tou politou’ (‘On the Citizen’s Obligations’).¹ Intellectuals concluded that women possessed an intelligence and physical stamina commensurate with their nation’s spirit and could obviously profit from elementary and even advanced education. Therefore, Hellenides should be literate because these women inherited particular national qualities. There were, however, many obstacles to realizing such a plan, as, in the 1870s, there were still few facilities, either private or public, offering women primary education and hardly any facilities for secondary education in the Ottoman lands.