Oikos
![Layout of typical ancient Greek house.](/Images/godic/202501/30/Greek_house_layout.svg4118.png")
![Part of the excavation at Olynthos. The grid layout, with regularly sized rectangular houses, can be seen.](/Images/godic/202501/30/Ancient_Olynthos_Chalkidiki_-_Greece_-_0484118.jpg")
![A woman spinning. Image on an Attic red-figure lekythos, c.480-470 BCE. Now in the](/Images/godic/202501/30/Woman_spinning_MAR_Palermo_NI21494118.jpg")
The ancient Greek word oikos (ancient Greek: οἶκος, plural: οἶκοι; English prefix: eco- for ecology and economics) refers to three related but distinct concepts: the family, the family's property, and the house. Its meaning shifts even within texts, which can lead to confusion.