Daughters of Gaia

"A readable and inspiring account. Without denying the limitations under which women labored in these ancient cultures, Vivante keeps the emphasis where it belongs: on the amazing range of their achievements and on the value-to themselves and their contemporaries-of the roles they assumed." -- Lillian E. Doherty, Associate Professor of Classics, University of Maryland

Explores women's lives in four ancient civilisations of the Mediterranean: Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, and Rome. Beginning with the images of goddesses and women's roles in the religious sphere, this book details the foundations of women's activities in all other social realms, giving a deeper understanding of the lives of women in each.From their personal lives at home to their roles in the realms of religion, health, economics, governance, war, philosophy, and poetry, this is the story of ancient women in all their aspects. Vivante explores women's lives in four ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean: Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, and Rome. While the experiences of women in ancient cultures were certainly very different from those of most women today, a tendency to focus too much on negative or restrictive images has until now provided readers with a rather incomplete picture. Looking at this important era from a female-oriented perspective, Vivante widens the perceptual lens and makes it possible to highlight the fundamental empowered aspects of women's activities in order to present them in balance with the various limits imposed on their societal participation. Beginning with powerful images of goddesses and women's roles in the religious sphere, Vivante details the foundation for women's activities in all other social realms. While these four Mediterranean civilizations were distinctive, they also influenced each other through various forms of contact—trade, colonization, and war. Both the similarities and the differences permit richer comparisons and promote a deeper understanding of the lives of women in each.