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The original was posted on /r/askhistorians by /u/Firm_Ruin_6178 on 2023-09-26 02:27:36.
An interesting discussion came up during a seminar on Euripides' Medea, in which the eponymous, long-suffering ex-wife of Jason bemoans the lot of women, claiming "for what it’s worth, / I’d rather fight three battles, shield to shield, / In the first line of men, than once give birth!" There's a lot to discuss considering the facetiousness of Medea in this passage and her appeals to the Chorus (slave women she hopes will support her in her campaign of revenge); but I was curious as to the historicity of the statement. How do the fatality rates of hoplites, heavily armored and (at least for the Athenians) more valuable as prisoners than corpses, compare to those of childbirth during the era?