Women in Antiquity: New Assessments

Description

The study of gender in classical antiquity has undergone rapid and wide-ranging development in the past. The contributors reassess the role of women in diverse contexts and areas, such as archaic and classical Greek literature and cult, Roman imperial politics, ancient medicine and early Christianity. Some offer detailed interpretations of topics which have been widely discussed since the 1960s whilst others highlight recent areas of research. This study reflects and expands on existing scholarly debates on the status and representation of women in the ancient world, focusing on methodology, and suggesting areas for future research and improvement.

'... the strength of this book lies in two main areas: that it does raise some new issues and provoke thought and criticism, and that it is a good teaching tool.' - Classics Ireland 'Through collections like these, the study of women in antiquity has achieved a high degree of academic respectability, and as a mark of that maturity a number of contributions look back self-critically on the genre itself, re-examining the assumptions inherent in the study of ancient women.' - Times Literary Supplement 'This is a valuable collection of papers, for several areas of current research into the social history of the Greco-Roman world.' - The Classical Review '...these essays form a most useful and convenient collection' - Greece and Rome