The relative position of the sexes in Homeric Greece exhibits nothing materially different from the present day.

In Armenia and Syria perhaps Christianity has done the service of extinguishing polygamy: this is creditable, though nowise miraculous.

Judaism also unlearnt polygamy, and made an unbidden improvement upon Moses.

In short, only in countries where Germanic sentiment has taken root, do we see marks of any elevation of the female sex superior to that of Pagan antiquity; and as this elevation of the German woman in her deepest Paganism was already striking to Tacitus and his contemporaries, it is highly unreasonable to claim it as an achievement of Christianity.
In point of fact, Christian doctrine, as propounded by Paul, is not at all so honourable to woman as that which German soundness of heart has established.

With Paul[13] the _sole_ reason for marriage is, that a man may gratify instinct without sin.