1st Edition

The Constraints of Desire The Anthropology of Sex and Gender in Ancient Greece

By John J. Winkler Copyright 1990
    282 Pages
    by Routledge

    282 Pages
    by Routledge

    For centuries, classical scholars have intensely debated the "position of women" in classical Athens. Did women have a vast but informal power, or were they little better than slaves? Using methods developed from feminist anthropology, Winkler steps back from this narrowly framed question and puts it in the larger context of how sex and gender in ancient Greece were culturally constructed. His innovative approach uncovers the very real possibilities for female autonomy that existed in Greek society.

    PART I: 1.Unnatural Acts: Erotic Protocols in Artemidoros' Dream Analysis 2. Laying down the Law: The Oversight of Men's Sexual Behaviour in Classical Athens 3. The Constraints of Desire: erotic Magical Spells 4. The Education of Chloe: Hidden Injuries of Sex PART II: 5. Penelope's Cunning and Homer's 6. Double Consciousness in Sappho's Lyrics 7. Demeter and the Gardens of Adonis

    Biography

    John J. Winkler was formerly affiliated with Stanford University.

    "The entire work is an excellent one for courses on women in antiquity. . . History courses will profit from the section on male sexuality in classical Athens. . . this sophisticated and valuable work is accessible to a very wide audience." -- Classical World