Dear Classical Wisdom Reader,
One of the best things about the ancient world is that it’s almost always more exciting than you think it’ll be…
Ancient Athenian women, for example, are usually depicted as having fairly secluded and, dare I say, uneventful lives. Most imagine that they married young, took care of the house, and had lots of children…
Now, I’m not saying those things aren’t extremely valuable and worthwhile… it’s just that they’re not necessarily the stuff that fills the history books… or what many in the past might have considered worth recording.
Fortunately for us (and perhaps more so for them), this was not the case. Lovers of the past know that, as per usual, history is rarely so simple.
So what did women actually do in ancient Athens?
In this month’s Classical Wisdom Podcast with Professors, ancient historian Katherine Backler, Lecturer in Ancient History at the University of Leeds and author of Athena's Sisters: Reclaiming the Women of Classical Athens, discusses the surprisingly rich and complicated lives of women in Classical Athens.
We talk about women who worked, earned money, ran businesses and formed deep friendships… women whose names survive in inscriptions and tombstones… and even the religious festivals where the ladies fasted, feasted, slept in tents together and, apparently, talked about sex.
There are also curse tablets, court cases, questions of citizenship, and some wonderfully human stories that once more bring ancient Athens into three dimensions, condensing the years and bringing the past into the present.
You can watch a preview above and think… who would be your tent buddy?
And if you’re a Classical Wisdom Member, you can watch the entire conversation and discover just how much we may have misunderstood the women of ancient Athens…
You can also enjoy the transcript, as well as the audio-only version, below.
Finally, a BIG thank you for our Classical Wisdom Members who make this publication possible!
If you aren’t a member yet and would like to enjoy all our resources (like today’s exclusive podcast with professors) as well as support our project of bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds, subscribe today:
All the best,
Anya Leonard
Founder and Director
Classical Wisdom
