Xenophon's Oeconomicus

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Please allow some of my notes to guide you:

Based on passages from Xenophon's Oeconomicus, I concur that Ischomachus is serious when he describes his wife's role in the household due to the subjugation and oppression of Greek women during the era. Although many critics deem him as simply trying to be ironic, I see him as more serious in terms of his sexist views toward women and household chores and roles for various reasons.

Ischomachus undermines not only his wife role but explains the unequal role assigned to all women in society as natural and even prescribed by the gods. He claims, "You can try to do what the gods made you able to do and custom advises." ...