Encyclopedia of Women in the Ancient WorldEncyclopedia of Women in the Ancient World
An extensive and fascinating collection of stories featuring both famous and everyday women, giving a well-rounded view of the lives of women in the ancient world.
When did women first become rulers, athletes, soldiers, heroines, and villains? They always were, observes historian Judith Salisbury. From Mesopotamian priestesses and poets to Egyptian queens and consorts, "there was never a time when women did not participate in all aspects of society."
Salisbury tells the stories of 150 women from the ancient world, ranging from the very famous, such as Cleopatra VII, immortalized by Hollywood, to the barely remembered, such as the Roman poet Nossis. Writing for a general audience, Salisbury begins by painting each woman into her historical context, then recounts each woman's story, describing the choices she made as she looked for happiness, wealth, power, or well-being for herself and her family—stories much like our own. In entries on general themes—clothing, cosmetics, work, sexuality, prostitution, gynecology—Salisbury analyzes the commonalties in the lives of these women of antiquity from a cross-cultural perspective.
- Entries including women from myth, religion, and legend including Eve, Aphrodite, the earth goddess Gaea, Helen of Troy, and Isis
- Entries arranged by categories such as Greece, Rome, Christian, and Northern Europe for ease of research
- Many rare and revealing images including a procession of virgin martyrs, ca. A.D. 560
- Photographs of ancient sculptures including a Minoan snake goddess, ca. 1600 B.C.; numerous maps of ancient Greece and Mesopotamia; and a depiction of the Hellenistic monarchies
- Genealogical charts of the Herodian family, the family of Augustus, and the Julio-Claudian house
An extensive and fascinating collection of stories featuring both famous and everyday women, giving a well-rounded view of the lives of women in the ancient world.
When did women first become rulers, athletes, soldiers, heroines, and villains? They always were, observes historian Judith Salisbury. From Mesopotamian priestesses and poets to Egyptian queens and consorts, "there was never a time when women did not participate in all aspects of society."
Salisbury tells the stories of 150 women from the ancient world, ranging from the very famous, such as Cleopatra VII, immortalized by Hollywood, to the barely remembered, such as the Roman poet Nossis. Writing for a general audience, Salisbury begins by painting each woman into her historical context, then recounts each woman's story, describing the choices she made as she looked for happiness, wealth, power, or well-being for herself and her family—stories much like our own. In entries on general themes—clothing, cosmetics, work, sexuality, prostitution, gynecology—Salisbury analyzes the commonalties in the lives of these women of antiquity from a cross-cultural perspective.
When did women first become rulers, athletes, soldiers, heroines, and villains? They always were, observes historian Judith Salisbury. From Mesopotamian priestesses and poets to Egyptian queens and consorts, "there was never a time when women did not participate in all aspects of society."
Salisbury tells the stories of 150 women from the ancient world, ranging from the very famous, such as Cleopatra VII, immortalized by Hollywood, to the barely remembered, such as the Roman poet Nossis. Writing for a general audience, Salisbury begins by painting each woman into her historical context, then recounts each woman's story, describing the choices she made as she looked for happiness, wealth, power, or well-being for herself and her family—stories much like our own. In entries on general themes—clothing, cosmetics, work, sexuality, prostitution, gynecology—Salisbury analyzes the commonalties in the lives of these women of antiquity from a cross-cultural perspective.
Telling the stories of many women from the ancient world, Salisbury (history, U. of Wisconsin-Green Bay) shows the choices they made in their lives as they looked for happiness, wealth, power, or well-being for their families. Her coverage extends from earliest recorded Mesopotamia through Jewish matriarch and heroines, Egyptian queens and consorts, and Alexandrian times, to the classical ages of Greece and Rome to about the year 500. Whereas many such books assume a fair degree of familiarity with conventional history and just add in the missing women, she does not, and explains the historical context. Cross-references and bibliographies follow each entry. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
An extensive and fascinating collection of stories featuring both famous and everyday women, giving a well-rounded view of the lives of women in the ancient world.
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- Santa Barbara, Calif. : ABC-CLIO, c2001.
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