Description
Book SynopsisAccording to legend, Aspasia of Miletus was a courtesan, the teacher of Socrates, and the political adviser of her lover Pericles. Next to Sappho and Cleopatra, she is the best known woman of the ancient Mediterranean. Yet continued uncritical reception of her depiction in Attic comedy and naive acceptance of Plutarch''s account of her in his Life of Pericles prevent us from understanding who she was and what her contributions to Greek thought may have been. Madeleine Henry combines traditional philological and historical methods of analysis with feminist critical perspectives, in order to trace the construction of Aspasia''s biographical tradition from ancient times to the present. Through her analysis of both literary and political evidence, Henry determines the ways in which Aspasia has become an icon of the sexually attractive and politically influential female, how this construction has prevented her from taking her rightful place as a contributor to the philosophical enterprise,
Trade ReviewA richly entertaining book for those interested in how traditions develop. * Religious Studies Review *
A fascinating book ... Madeleine Henry has suceeded in presenting us with an extremely substantial and well-documented book. * Rachel J. Finnegan, Hermathena *
This work is to be commended for its thorough and scholarly analysis of the standard texts, and also for its more open approach to the less academic works. It should have a wide appeal, attracting readers with an interest in various disciplines, including classics, feminist studies and the history of biography. * Rachel J. Finnegan, Hermathena *
