Another thing I will have no time to teach in the fall. Kinda-sorta a review of Melissa Funke (2024). "Phryne: A Life in Fragments". London: Bloomsbury Academic...
Murasaki Shikibu comes to my mind as an example of a very accomplished ancient woman if you’re looking. Also Plato among others seems to have been very impressed by Sappho of Lesbos - but only a tiny taste of her work has survived for us to try and see what the fuss was about.
Yes--it seems that there were many women writers from the long time frame you discuss who were at the top level of human achievement. Besides Murasaki Shikibu and Sappho, how about Jane Austen, George Eliot, Emily Dickinson, Madame de la Fayette and Enheduanna (the Mesopotamian poetess)?
Also, there were other women leaders besides Theodora at that level: Elizabeth I and Catherine the Great come to mind.
Somewhat similar story to Phyrne, but perhaps an even more spectacular rise is Empress Theodora, wife of Justinian. Not much we could teach her about navigating Byzantine politics.
You should write an article on this topic. Is degrowth possible? Is it practical? If not, what is the alternative? What are the limits to growth? Can the world economy grow forever?
If Westmoreland had fought like Alexander at Tyre or Caesar at Alesia he would have been charged with war crimes. So advice from ancient generals is pretty much irrelevant.
As you said, she played her hand very well, especially for the era. I'm sure the half world has existed since the dawn of urban life, though the relatively new technology of writing seems to have been first adopted in commerce, government and religion. It wasn't a big thing until the classical era for playwrights, pundits and philosophers. I doubt we'll find older tales than Phryne's.
If you have time, consider Kreuss's Reign of the Phallus for a look at sexual relations in classical Athens. I got the impression she walked into museum after museum and asked to see all the classical Greek pottery that they wouldn't dare display in public. Kreuss was trying to solve the mystery of the Hermes and offers her own solution.
Very nice! Now do Hypatia.
:-)
Murasaki Shikibu comes to my mind as an example of a very accomplished ancient woman if you’re looking. Also Plato among others seems to have been very impressed by Sappho of Lesbos - but only a tiny taste of her work has survived for us to try and see what the fuss was about.
Yes--it seems that there were many women writers from the long time frame you discuss who were at the top level of human achievement. Besides Murasaki Shikibu and Sappho, how about Jane Austen, George Eliot, Emily Dickinson, Madame de la Fayette and Enheduanna (the Mesopotamian poetess)?
Also, there were other women leaders besides Theodora at that level: Elizabeth I and Catherine the Great come to mind.
Somewhat similar story to Phyrne, but perhaps an even more spectacular rise is Empress Theodora, wife of Justinian. Not much we could teach her about navigating Byzantine politics.
Dear Brad, Here is an interesting article on "De growth." https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/05/kohei-saito-degrowth-communism/678481/
You should write an article on this topic. Is degrowth possible? Is it practical? If not, what is the alternative? What are the limits to growth? Can the world economy grow forever?
If Westmoreland had fought like Alexander at Tyre or Caesar at Alesia he would have been charged with war crimes. So advice from ancient generals is pretty much irrelevant.
Also, we don't want the US military to fight like the Israeli IDF in Gaza, or the Russian military in Ukraine either.
As you said, she played her hand very well, especially for the era. I'm sure the half world has existed since the dawn of urban life, though the relatively new technology of writing seems to have been first adopted in commerce, government and religion. It wasn't a big thing until the classical era for playwrights, pundits and philosophers. I doubt we'll find older tales than Phryne's.
If you have time, consider Kreuss's Reign of the Phallus for a look at sexual relations in classical Athens. I got the impression she walked into museum after museum and asked to see all the classical Greek pottery that they wouldn't dare display in public. Kreuss was trying to solve the mystery of the Hermes and offers her own solution.
Oops, my memory failed me again. That was Keuls, not Kreuss.