#ancientwomen — Public Fediverse posts

@rogueclassicist Ooooh. #CateBlanchett as #Electra? Yes, please!

"The hottest Greek ticket of the year, though, is surely for Cate Blanchett in the upcoming Electra/Persona by Benedict Andrews. Electra is a fascinating choice, not least because we have three different versions of her story: Sophocles and Euripides each wrote one, and Aeschylus’s Choephoroi covers the same part of the myth. There are plenty of variations between the three, not least because Euripides takes potshots at Aeschylus’s version, mocking a recognition scene that depended on Electra identifying her long-absent brother from a lock of hair and a footprint, both of which (implausibly) resemble her own."

#Classics #AncientWomen #AncientGreece

#AncientEgyptian princesses were ‘powerful’ weapon users, new analysis suggests

These findings challenge a long-held belief about weapons found in female burial sites

By Jackie Flynn Mogensen, July 17, 2026

Excerpt: " 'We wanted to see if the skeletons themselves supported the presence of the weapons found beside them,' [#ZeinabHashesh] says.

"By looking at the princesses’ internal bone structure and muscle attachment sites, as well as by analyzing chemical signatures left on the remains, Hashesh and her team began to piece together a picture of what the princesses’ daily lives and burials may have looked like.

" 'Our big takeaway is that these women were ‘active ritual agents’ whose lives involved disciplined physical strength,' she says, participating in activities that possibly included archery or the use of daggers.

"In Princess Ita’s case, her muscle attachments 'strongly reflect the habitual gripping of weapons like daggers or maces,' Hashesh says.

"Even more clear was Princess Noub-Hotep, whose skeleton, she says, 'provides the most definitive evidence for the 'archer’s grip,' including 'a unique bowing' of a hand bone, a feature that Hashesh sees as evidence of having to drawing a bow.

"Meanwhile, she adds, Princess Itaweret appeared to have survived 'significant trauma” to her ribs and feet bones, 'indicating a high-risk, active lifestyle.' "

Read more:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/ancient-egyptian-princesses-were-powerful-weapon-users-new-analysis-suggests/

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/R4QEx

#AncientEgypt #AncientWomen #WarriorWomen #AncientHistory

RE: https://kolektiva.social/@DoomsdaysCW/111828937742345890

Related post to #AncientWomen, #Crete, #Homer, #Odyssey, etc.

No wonder they were demonized in #Homer's #Odyssey! (See related posts...)

The Power of Women in Minoan Civilization

by Alexios Zorbas, May 23, 2023

Excerpt: "The Minoan civilization, flourishing on the island of Crete from approximately 2700 to 1450 BCE, stands out in ancient history for its progressive social structure and remarkable gender equality. Unlike the predominantly #patriarchal societies of the ancient Mediterranean world, Minoan society was a beacon of #egalitarianism particularly concerning women’s liberties.

Women in Minoan society held a significant position, relishing a degree of independence and freedom that was extraordinary during that era.

"Their roles extended beyond domestic confines, as they actively engaged in various facets of public life. They were seen in religious ceremonies, political discussions, and economic activities, showcasing their versatility and contributing to the societal fabric of Minoan civilization.

"Furthermore, women were not silent spectators in politics; they actively participated in political affairs, serving in roles such as advisors, administrators, and even rulers. Their influence was also evident in foreign affairs, as they took part in diplomatic missions and negotiations.

"Economically, Minoan women demonstrated their prowess by engaging in a wide array of activities that contributed to the prosperity of the Minoan civilization. They participated in agriculture, trade, and craftsmanship, managing their own businesses and properties, further proving their autonomy.

"Moreover, Minoan women enjoyed legal rights and protections that were exceptional in the ancient world. They had the right to own property, inherit wealth, and independently engage in legal contracts. This level of legal autonomy was indeed extraordinary for the period, emphasizing the advanced nature of Minoan society."

Read more:
https://knossos-palace.gr/2023/05/23/power-of-woman/

#Matriarchy #AncientWomen #AncientCrete #Histodons #BronzeAgeCollapse #AncientHistory #WomensRights #MinoanWomen

#Matriarchy May Have Prevailed in #Minoan Civilization

By Maria Rybachuk, November 13, 2023

Excerpt: "The Minoan civilization, among the earliest and most advanced societies in the #BronzeAge, excelled in art, trade, and the prominent role of women.

"Women in ancient Greece were markedly disadvantaged in terms of rights, often confined to domestic and reproductive spheres. However, there were some exceptions such as ancient #Sparta. This city-state presented a fascinating departure from #patriarchal norm, showcasing women who were robust, independent, and well-educated.

"A more enigmatic occurrence involves the portrayal of women on Bronze Age #Crete. Several scholars concur that women held a notably dominant position compared to men. Thus, John Younger, professor of classics at the University of Kansas, noted that 'this culture on Crete around 1600-1500 BCE is the closest candidate for a matriarchy.' "

https://greekreporter.com/2023/11/13/minoan-civilization-matriarchy/

#AncientWomen #AncientCrete #Histodons #BronzeAgeCollapse #AncientHistory #WomensRights #MinoanWomen

RE: https://kolektiva.social/@DoomsdaysCW/112803950724294958

Will #Sappho be banned next?!!

#AncientWomen #Censorship #AncientPhilsophers #AncientGreece #GBLTQHistory

Boring History For Sleep: Ancient India – Ashoka vs Rani Lakshmibai

https://www.emilyselect.com/boring-history-for-sleep-ancient-india-ashoka-vs-rani-lakshmibai/?feed_id=1780&_unique_id=68c02c541b127&Mastodon

#AncientIndia #AncientWomen #Ashoka #ASMRHistory #BedtimeStories #BoringHistory #HistoricalNarration #HistoryForSleep #IndianHistory #IndusValley #MauryaEmpire #RelaxingHistory #SatiPractice #SleepHistory #SleepWell #bedtimestories #bedtimestory #BoringHistoryToSleep #deepsleep #fallas...

Spencer's translation below seems pretty accurate to me...

From: Was #Sappho Really a Lesbian?

by Spencer McDaniel
Posted on August 14, 2021

"Ancient versus modern concepts of sexuality

"Before we delve into the issue of Sappho’s sexuality, I feel that it is important to discuss the differences between ancient and modern concepts of sexuality. Generally speaking, most people living in the English-speaking world in the twenty-first century tend to assume that each person has an innate sexual orientation that remains fixed throughout their life and is a defining aspect of their identity. In other words, each person is inherently 'straight,' 'gay,' 'bisexual,' or something else.

"The ancient Greeks, however, generally did not think about sexuality in these sorts of terms. In fact, there are no words in Ancient Greek that are equivalent to the English words 'straight,' 'gay,' or 'bi.'

"The ancient Greeks did, of course, recognize that most people have some degree of preference for sexual partners of a certain gender. Unlike modern people, however, they did not generally see these preferences as being written in stone and they did not usually regard a person’s sexual preference as a fixed, innate part of their identity. An anonymous ancient poem in the Greek language that is preserved in the Greek Anthology 5.65 illustrates this ambivalence quite succinctly:

“Αἰετὸς ὁ Ζεὺς ἦλθεν ἐπ᾽ ἀντίθεον Γανυμήδην,
κύκνος ἐπὶ ξανθὴν μητέρα τὴν Ἑλένης.
οὕτως ἀμφότερ᾽ ἐστὶν ἀσύγκριτα· τῶν δύο δ᾽ αὐτῶν
ἄλλοις ἄλλο δοκεῖ κρεῖσσον, ἐμοὶ τὰ δύο.”

"This means, in my own translation:

“As an eagle Zeus came to godlike Ganymedes
and as a swan to the tawny-haired mother of Helene.
In this manner, the two [passions] are incomparable. Of the two,
one seems better to some; for me, both are good.”

Read more:
https://talesoftimesforgotten.com/2021/08/14/was-sappho-really-a-lesbian/

#GayHistory #AncientWomen
#AncientHistory #AncientSexuality #AncientGreece #Histodon #Classics #AncientGreek #Poetry

My article on "Vidyottama : wife of Mahakavi Kalidas" has been published on Reflections.live website.

Read here :- https://reflections.live/articles/788/vidyottama-mahakavi-kalidasna-patni-article-by-vishakha-mothiya-14420-lszskdjx.html

Share...

#mustreads #womensday #womenshistory #ArticleWriter #historical #ancientwomen #knowledgesharing #ProudWoman #IndianHistory #vishakhamothiya #womanpower #gujarati #gujaratiwriter #InformativeContent #gk

#Hatshepsut

by Joshua J. Mark (one of the sources for my "Women in the Ancient World" presentation)
19 October 2016

"Hatshepsut (r. 1479-1458 BCE) was the first female ruler of ancient Egypt to reign as a male with the full authority of #pharaoh. Her name means 'Foremost of Noble Women' or 'She is First Among Noble Women'. She began her reign as regent to her stepson Thutmose III (r. 1458-1425 BCE) who would succeed her.

"Initially, she ruled as a woman as depicted in statuary but, at around the seventh year of her reign, she chose to be depicted as a #MalePharaoh in statuary and reliefs though still referring to herself as female in her inscriptions. She was the fifth pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty during the period known as the New Kingdom (c. 1570 to c. 1069 BCE) and regarded as one of the most #prosperous and the era of the Egyptian Empire.

"Although she is sometimes cited as the first female ruler of Egypt, or the only one, there were women who reigned before her such as #Merneith (r. c. 3000 BCE) in the Early Dynastic Period (probably as regent) and #Sobeknefru (r. c. 1807-1802 BCE) in the Middle Kingdom and #Twosret (r. 1191-1190 BCE) after her toward the end of the 19th Dynasty. Hatshepsut, though not the first or last, is undoubtedly the best-known female ruler of ancient Egypt after #Cleopatra VII (r. c. 69-30 BCE) and one of the most successful monarchs in Egyptian history."

Read more:
https://www.worldhistory.org/hatshepsut/

#AncientEgypt #FemaleRulers #AncientHistory #WomensRights #AncientWomen #Histodon

Reproduction concepts and practices in ancient #Egypt mirrored by modern medicine

by Ronit Haimov-Kochman, et al.
Published 2005

Abstract

The treasured ancient papyri provide a glimpse into understanding of common concepts and practices in ancient Egypt. The Kahun gynecological papyrus and other texts unveil the traditions of reproduction, conception and delivery. This article addresses the rationale of beliefs and practices of that era. Frequently, the reason for common traditions exercised at the time is based on medical knowledge of female anatomy and physiology during pregnancy. Surprisingly some of the remedies commonly used in ancient Egypt were recently explored and found intriguing. This paper was aimed to look at the reflection of archaic practices and concepts of ancient Egypt by the modern mirror of evidence-based medicine.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301211505001685

#KahunPapyrus #AncientEgypt #gynecology #WomensStatus #AncientWomen #History #AncientHistory #Histodon

One more notable #Roman woman -- #Eumachia! Patroness of #Pompeii -- and, well, we all know what happened there...

Eumachia (before 64 AD), “was a priestess and prominent citizen of Pompeii” (Lefkowitz, 159). Though she was not from a prominent family, she inherited a fortune “from her father, a brick manufacturer” (Lefkowitz, 159), and married “into one of Pompeii’s oldest families” (Lefkowitz, 159).

She used her fortune to “erect a number of public buildings in Pompeii” (Salisbury, 307), and was “patroness of the guild of fullers (cleaners, dyers and clothing makers)” [people who dealt with #wool] (Lefkowitz, 159).

Eumachia was an example of how “imperial [Roman] women, while they had no formal role in government, were highly influential nevertheless” (Salisbury, 307).

#AncientWomen #Histodon #RomanHistory #RomanWomen #Autonomy #WomensRights

Julia rejected the constraints of #Roman #Patriarchy, and paid the price. Also, note the parallels between later #RomanHistory and that of the #USA -- as the Roman Empire began restricting women's rights and enforcing "family values". And we all know what happened to the #RomanEmpire...

Notable #RomanWomen: #Julia

Julia was born in 39 BCE, the daughter of the first #RomanEmperor, #Augustus (#Octavian). As her “#guardian,” Augustus severely restricted Julia’s freedom, but as the daughter of the emperor, Augustus made sure Julia was well-#educated.

Augustus had arranged several marriages for Julia, all for political reasons. Julia resented this, and was known for having several lovers. Augustus ignored her behavior for a while, since she had born several heirs to the family line.

However, in 2 BCE, Julia was arrested for “#adultery and #treason,” and Augustus accused her of plotting against him, though at the time, Augustus has passed laws promoting “#FamilyValues”. Julia was exiled to a small island, where it is said she died of starvation.

#RomanFamilyValues #RomanWomen #RomanHistory #AncientWomen #Histodon #WomensRights #Rome #RomanEmporers #WomenInTheAncientWorld

More about #Roman Priestesses

An ancient priesthood of #Hera at Olympia involved “sixteen elderly women” (Connelly, 45), based on a “board of #FemaleElders once chosen from sixteen cities” (Connelly, 45) who negotiated “#peace between two cities’ (Connelly, 45) who had been at war.
 
“Priestesses seem to have initiated and negotiated #laws, #amendments, and penalties for transgressions” (Connelly, 214). Some priestesses wielded enormous influence: the Pythia of Delphi “could move scores of people to action” (Connelly, 219), and a #Pythia “is credited with having provided #Lykourgos with the #Spartan system of government”.

#AncientWomen #PostMenopausalWomen #AncientHistory #Autonomy #WomensRights #History #Histodon #RomanWomen #AncientRome #RomanPriesthood

#Roman Priestesses

“Sacred service roles” (Connelly, 31) such as Cult #Priestesses a way for a woman to be something other than just a wife and mother, but those positions were usually reserved for those from “prominent families” (Connelly, 31).
 
Young women could become #Vestals, married women could be priestesses (though those positions were usually inherited – Connelly 42), and #postmenopausal women also held positions of prominence (Connelly, 43).

#AncientWomen #AncientHistory #Autonomy #WomensRights #History #Histodon #RomanWomen #AncientRome

Women's #Occupations in #AncientRome

While a married #Roman woman was focused on the “functioning of complex Roman households” (Nagle, 103), women who had achieved independence could own and manage their own “property just like males” (Rawson, 84).

Women could also “apprentice” (Lefkowitz, 208) in certain occupations, become entertainers or prostitutes, or serve as priestesses – however, “lucrative trades (armaments, books, animals)” (Lefkowitz, 219) were dominated by men.

#AncientWomen #AncientHistory #Autonomy #WomensRights #History #Histodon #RomanWomen

Getting late. I'll finish up tomorrow morning with "Women's Occupations", "Notable Roman Women", "Priestesshood," and, of course, the Bibliography!
#AncientWomen #AncientHistory

So, I had to talk about #Sparta! A warrior society focused on war, women had more rights than their #Athenian counterparts -- and were encouraged to be physically fit and prepared to fight to defend their homeland.

Sparta

Unlike their Greek counterparts, the women of Sparta had a lot more freedom and status. They were educated, since they would be in charge of keeping the homeland running smoothly while the men were at war – but they were also strong and able to defend themselves and their homeland.

Spartan men and women lived in separate quarters – even while married. Married couples would leave their respective quarters to procreate, and Spartan wives were required to have short hair and sometimes wore men’s clothing.

Amongst married couples, the Spartans were relatively #polyamorous, and women were not punished for infidelity.

#AncientWomen #AncientHistory #Histodons #WomensRights #SpartanWomen

Of course, I had to study #Sappho's poetry. Unfortunately, most of what remains of her poetry are just fragments. As for her homosexual relations with women -- under #patriarchal #AthenianGreece, men didn't care if women had same sex lovers. And men did as well -- but that's a whole other topic I'll deal with some other time... Suffice to say, I have come to the conclusion that Sappho was indeed a "#Lesbian"!

Notable Women in #AncientGreece: Sappho

Sappho was born in #612BCE, and came from an aristocratic family. She was well-educated and possibly married to a man named Cercylas. However, since “Cercylas” is ancient Greek slang for “penis,” that was probably just a humorous anecdote.

Sappho was a famous poet, said to be a “muse” (especially when compared to contemporary male poets), though not many of her works survived (lots of fragments). Sappho wrote poetry about female desire and was known for her homosexual relationships.

Female homosexuality in ancient Greece was largely ignored, but it seems “by the 2nd century BC” “female sexuality had by that time come to be regarded as not very nice” (Blundell).

#WomensRights #AncientWomen #AncientHistory #Histodon

Chrysis, priestess of Athena, was the exception rather than the rule.

Notable Women in #AncientGreece: #Chrysis

Chrysis (ca. 200-101 BCE), a “priestess of #Athena Polias” (Connelly, 1), came from a prominent family in Greece. Athens “voted to grant her” (Connelly, 1) and all of her female descendants, “an impressive series of rights and privileges” (Connelly, 1).

Some of these privileges included “the right to consult the oracle, priority of trial, inviolability (asylia), freedom from taxes, a front seat at all competitions held by the city, the right to own land and houses, and all other honors customary for #proxenoi and benefactors of the city” (Connelly, 1).

#WomensRights #AncientWomen #Autonomy #Priestess #Priesthood #AncientHistory #Histodon