anner. Among the peoples of old
Greece, it was Athens where the new order of things first prevailed.

Frederick Engels is of the opinion that this great revolution was
accomplished peacefully, and that, after all the conditions for the new
rights were at hand, it only required a simple vote in the gens in order
to rear the father in the place of the mother-right. Bachofen, on the
contrary, grounding his opinion upon more or less reliable information
from the old writers, holds that the women offered strong resistance to
this social transformation. He, for instance, sees in the legends of the
Amazonian Kingdoms, which re-appear under manifold variations in the old
history of Asia and the Orient, and also have turned up in South America
and in China, proofs for the struggle and resistance which the women
offered to the new order. We leave that as it may be.

With the rule of man, women lost their position in the community; they
were excluded from the councils and from all leading influence. Man
exacts conjugal fidelity from her, but claims exemption for himself. If
she violates that, she is guilty of the most serious deception that can
afflict the new citizen; she thereby introduces into his house
stranger's children as heirs of his property. Hence, among all ancient
nations, the breach of conjugal fidelity on the part of woman is
punished with death or slavery.

Notwithstanding women were thus removed from their position as leaders,
the customs connected with the old system of morals continued for
centuries to sway the public mind, although the meaning of the surviving
customs was gradually lost to the people. It is only in modern times
that pains are being taken to inquire into the original meaning of these
old customs. In Greece, for instance, it remained a religious practice
that Greek women prayed only to goddesses for advice, help and favors.
Likewise, the yearly recurring celebration of the Thesmophoria owed its
origin to the days of mother-right. Even in later days, the women of
Greece celebrated this festival for five days in honor of Demeter; and
no man was allowed to be present. It was similarly in old Rome with a
festival in honor of Ceres. Both Demeter and Ceres were considered
goddesses of fertility. In Germany also such festivals, once customary
in the heathen days of Frigga, were held, deep into the Middle Ages,
Frigga being considered the goddess of fertility among the old Germans.
According to the narr