Gynaeconitis

In ancient Greece, the gynaeconitis (Greek: γυναικωνίτης) was theportion of a house reserved for women, generally the innermost apartment; women's quarters.

The women's quarters of the home were called gynaikeions. Here, the married woman of the household would often join the unmarried women and the female slaves at night when she did not join her husband. The women spent most of their days in this area of the house. These rooms were more remote from those reserved for the men by placing them away from the streets and public areas of the house. When visitors were entertained the women were not present, but remained in this secluded portion of the house (Blundell, 139).

Sources

* Blundell, Sue. Women in Ancient Greece. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1995.