Routledge Women in Athenian Law and Life

Product Description 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'. Review `Just neatly draws [the several] facets of the composite image of women, as creatures defective in rationality and self-control ... that can be found dispersed through literary sources of various types. He shows how all ultimately depend on the self-image of men.' - Jane Gardner, The Times `Excellent, thoroughly readable ... Just draws a clear and vivid picture of the social complexities which constitute the stuff of life in Classical Athens.' - Times Literary Supplement `Admirably lucid ... mature and well-developed book.' - Times Higher Education Supplement `It must be the best introduction to the subject now available, and should be read by everyone interested in ancient Athens from sixth-form students upwards.' - London Association of Classical Teachers Newsletter