Tag Archives: Ancient Women

Written by Ed Whalen, Contributing Writer, Classical Wisdom Many women have made an important contribution to philosophy, and one of the most famous—or indeed infamous—female philosopher is Hipparchia (fl. 300 B.C.). Married to a leading Cynic philosopher, Hipparchia greatly contributed to the development of Cynicism and helped popularize it in the Classical World.  What Were

Written by Mary Naples, Contributing Writer, Classical Wisdom Clad in white robes and carrying torches, the dawn’s amber rays cast a golden glow on the hundreds of pious women as their procession passed through the polis. With their heads raised to the heavens, the sound of their fervent voices singing in praise of Demeter reverberated

Written by Mary Naples, Contributing Writer, Classical Wisdom In Jason and the Argonauts, Medea—another goddess-cum-princess from a foreign land (Colchis, present-day Georgia)—also acts against her better interests by abandoning her royal family for the Greek hero, Jason, who ultimately deserts her. To seize the Golden Fleece, Medea helps Jason every step of the way, even

By Ben Potter The idea that women in antiquity were housebound is obviously ridiculous… and, paradoxically, true. That is to say, the ‘ideal’, in ancient Athens certainly, is that a woman should be neither seen nor heard, but pervade an aura of feminine invisibility. For example, Pericles (reported by Thucydides) addressed the women of Athens