Robin Osborne in his article “Law, the democratic citizen and the representation of women in classical Athens”; starts by arguing that the qualification for Athenian citizenship was to be based on the descent of individuals from both an Athenian Mother and father. The reasons for the author’s argument in this first part; is that she gives emphasis on the depiction of the exclusive and possessive mind-set created towards the citizenship of Athens with regard to the so called the ‘Athenian empire’, and the value of belonging to it.
The importance of this strict belonging is associated to the struggle and period after the Persian wars, and despite the law there has only been limited effect on the marriage patterns as was intended by the through the ruling. In the second part the law insisted that citizens should have Athenian mothers, and this led to the publicizing and advertising of Athenian mothers and wives by the Athenian men.
In the place of the Athenian mothers and wives; was the regard of the public presentation of a respectable woman. One part in which the law portrayed the depiction of the Athenian mothers and wives as respectable personalities was in or on cemeteries associated with these Athenian figures. In this second part; the effect the law had upon the view of wives and mothers was profuse, as the general honor associated with wives and the view of the family at large changed.
The plentiful effect of the second part of this law was evident in the literary formations of the Athenians especially the fashioned funerary monuments from showing only men, but also women prominently and regularly. This law was greatly geared towards improving the woman’s position, respect and identity as a citizen. The law also sought to alter and redefine the agenda for masculinity and reorganize the aspects of life important in the political sphere.
The claim made regarding the Perikles citizenship law was that; Athenian citizenship should be limited to the individuals born of Athenian mothers and fathers. The rationale for this law was to fuel the rate of growth of the Athenian population, and citizenship from the restrictive citizenship ruling. The impact of this law on the funerary art embraced in the fifth century Greece was that; the carving of funerary monuments started displaying not only men figures but also women frequently. This however was not a mere artistic development, but was an indication that the memories of women were more upheld.