Medusa and the Gorgons can be seen to have had a long history in Greek, and later, Roman mythology. However, it is Medusa whose popularity far outstripped that of her sisters. It is in the context of this development that the Gorgons, and Medusa, will be discussed. … More Medusa and Her Sisters: The Gorgons
Information about the Roman Goddess Fortuna, her worship and influence on Ancient Roman society. … More Fortuna, Goddess of Chance and Fate
Female voices are underrepresented or non-existent in writing regarding medicine and anatomy in antiquity. Female patients were not the same way we are today. They were not addressed by their name; sometimes they weren’t even addressed at all, but rather interactions were with their guardians. Can you imagine not being told what was going on with … More The Male Understanding of Female Bodies in Antiquity
As one might expect, childbirth in the ancient world was extremely dangerous. This was due partially to a lack of understanding about the female body, leading to societal assumptions about pregnancy and childbirth, as well as the use of potentially dangerous herbs. The Hippocratic writings A large portion of the written sources about women’s … More Pregnancy & Childbirth in Ancient Greece
In antiquity, the
rape of Lucretia is one of the most significant occurrences of violence against women. Her rape
would affect Rome itself and all its people. For centuries, Lucretia’s rape would be the topic of
numerous poems, artworks, and operas.
… More The Rape of Lucretia
A summary of some myths pertaining to Artemis including her birth and how she gained many of her titles and attributes. Myths explored include that of her birth, Callimachus’ hymn to Artemis, the myth of the Niobids, Artemis and men, Iphigenia, and Artemis in pop culture. … More Artemis in Mythology
Claimed to be the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen of Troy or Helen of Sparta, and also known as “the face that launched a thousand ships” was in Greek mythology the main cause of the Trojan war. She was daughter to Zeus and Leda, although her putative father was said to be Tyndareus … More Helen of Troy
A Brief Mycenaean Background From the 15th to the 13th century BCE, the Mycenaean people inhabited mainland Greece, as well as parts of the Aegean, Crete and the Cycladic Islands. This era of people were influenced largely by the Minoan civilization. A few important locations from this time period are Mycenae (the main site that the … More Mycenaean Female’s Clothing, Hair, and Jewellery
Throughout history, societies have always found a way to make their mark and over the period of thousands of years, some of these “marks” have not only survived the tests of time, but have been restored for us to be able to better identify the many significances of these societies. A great example of one … More The Women of the Villa of Mysteries (Pompeii)
Context for Sulpicia Sulpicia is the only female poet from Ancient Rome whose work still survives today. Her six love elegies were published with the work of Albius Tibullus in his Tibullian Corpus. Sulpicia’s poems have received critical attention from many scholars within the last five centuries as the poem’s authorship and literary credibility … More Sulpicia I
Women in Antiquity 