In this book, the author offers an overview of the roles of women in the ancient societies of Greece, Rome, Egypt, and the Near East. Sifting through a range of evidence from written and material culture, and focusing in particular on visual imagery, she traces the parameters of women's real lives, as distinct from the stereotypical ways in which they were often portrayed. After examining their traditional functions as wives and mothers, the author presents evidence of women's participation in the public and religious spheres. Juxtapositions comparing images and attitudes of each society reveal whether the women portrayed are meant to be examples of perfect femininity or the object of scorn, faithful wives or untouchable priestesses, or high-living prostitutes. Depictions of goddesses and the dress and adornments of women are analyzed for what they divulge about ideals of feminine beauty and attitudes toward female nudity. The text contains many quotations from contemporary sources that reveal details about women in the ancient world, often with surprising resonance for our own time. The illustrations, many specially commissioned, include public art and domestic artifacts such as sculptures, wall and mummy case paintings, engravings, silver objects, and jewelry--Front flap.
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