Classics 351: Women in the Classical World

Explores ancient Greek and Roman conceptions of women and gender focusing mainly on literary texts, but also historical documents and material culture. Considers family structure and the organization of domestic space, adolescence, virginity, and the transition to marriage, and women’s adult social roles as wives and mothers in both public and private spheres. The ways women contributed to their communities and exerted influence over their families and public life, whether through religious participation, sexuality and social status, will also be discussed. Throughout we will consider the material from the dual perspective of women’s sexual, social and political subordination and the possibilities for authority and power.