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

by John J. Winkler

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.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Greece, Classics, Anthropology, Gender, Ancient History

269 pages, Paperback

First published December 13, 1989

Reviews

[☁]

Dosta seksi

[... · Rating 2 out of 5]

skimmed through end

[xyron · Rating 3 out of 5]

It may seem a paradox that the one thing Detienne’s phallocentric analysis could not see was the phalloi, but that is not Strange at all. What a masculinist vision
cannot see is that men do not constitute the world and are not in fact its
ruling norm but are rather a distinct subcategory of the world. Masculinist
theory, unlike feminist theory, cannot recognize itself as such and can certainly never see how funny it sometimes looks.

[calum :0 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was super interesting!! I learned so much about greek views to sexuality and masculinity, and how women were viewed by both men and women!!(it was so interesting to learn that greek women viewed themselves as actually encompassing men's lives rather than being inferior to them o.O) The chapter about daphnis and chloe was my favourite, it was super thought-provoking and its already changed so much of how i think about other books that im reading!!!

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

For many years, there has been a heated scholarly debate regarding the role of women in classical Athens. The question of whether women held significant informal power or were treated as little more than slaves has been a focal point of discussion. However, Winkler takes a fresh approach to this topic by utilizing feminist anthropology methods and expanding the scope to examine the cultural construction of sex and gender in ancient Greece. By doing so, he sheds light on the potential for female autonomy that existed within Greek society, offering a new perspective on the position of women in classical Athens.

This book has proven to be a valuable resource for my college thesis, as it covers a wide range of topics and texts in the field of Classics. Winkler delves into foundational works such as the Odyssey, Sappho's poetry, and Daphnis and Chloe, offering insightful analysis. What sets this book apart is its inclusion of lesser-known technical texts like medical writings, dream interpretation manuals, and ancient scholia (literary commentaries). By exploring these diverse sources, Winkler effectively exposes the inherent bias in Classical Studies, which has often obscured our understanding of the ancient world.

Through his research, Winkler convincingly argues that despite the scarcity of direct evidence about the lives and perspectives of ancient women, they were likely aware of the sexist society they lived in and possessed the ability to navigate it skillfully. This challenges the prevailing notion that women in ancient Greece were passive and powerless. By shedding light on their potential agency and resilience, Winkler provides a fresh and compelling perspective on the experiences of women in the classical period.

A Write to Review: https://lrjohnson13.blogspot.com/2023...

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a classic work on gender in antiquity. Winkler covers a lot of ground, discussing many of the foundational texts of Classics, including the Odyssey, Sappho, and Daphnis and Chloe. He also engages with an impressive array of more obscure technical texts, including medical texts, dream-interpretation manuals, and a lot of ancient scholia (literary commentaries). The prose is clear and brisk, while the argumentation is well-supported and clever. Winkler reveals how frequently masculinist bias in Classical Studies has clouded our view of the ancient world. He persuasively argues that although we have little concrete evidence for the lives and thought-worlds of ancient women, they were probably aware of the sexist world which they inhabited and capable of navigating it with a fair amount of agility. The articles on erotic magic spells and Greek oratory were my favorite, but the suggestive readings of Sappho, Daphnis and Chloe, and Penelope in the Odyssey are all worth a look. Winkler always translates and transliterates the Greek he cites, but this book is probably still only accessible to undergraduate and graduate students or someone who has a familiarity with a lot of ancient history.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book helps one to understand or rationalize what the ancients were thinking when it came to the romance novel.