When studying classical Athens, there are many things which must be considered when looking at the evidence in order to get as balanced a view as possible. However, there are many things beyond our control that may make evidence biased or unreliable.

For example, all evidence is open to interpretation, and one person's interpretation may be very different from another. This applies to every kind of evidence, from paintings on pottery, to the plays, to craftsmen's tools. As the ancient Athenian society was so different to ours, and the societies before us who have also interpreted the evidence in different ways, we could be impressing our thoughts and views on them, which may be totally inaccurate.

Another problem with evidence from classical Athens, especially written evidence, is that it only comes from a very small section of society, which would be educated men. Women had no opportunities to...