Women in Athenian Law and Life - 9781138169654

Taylor & Francis

Provides a comprehensive account of the Athenians' conception of women during the classical period and shows the connections between women's place as defined by law and the gender ideology of masculinity and femininity. > This book provides a comprehensive account of the Athenians' conception of women during the classical period of the fifth and fourth centuries BC. Though nothing remains that represents the authentic voice of the women themselves, there is a wealth of evidence showing how men sought to define women. By working through a range of material, from the provisions of Athenian law through to the representations of tragedy and comedy, the author builds up, in the manner of an anthropological ethnography, a coherent and integrated picture of the Athenians' notion of `woman'. > Preface and acknowledgements, 1 INTRODUCTION: THE \u2018PROBLEM\u2019 OF WOMEN, 2 POLITICS, 3 LEGAL CAPABILITIES, 4 MARRIAGE AND THE STATE, 5 FAMILY AND PROPERTY, 6 FREEDOM AND SECLUSION, 7 PERSr