The Athenian Woman: An Iconographic Handbook

by Sian Lewis

Here Sian Lewis considers the full range of female existence in classical Greece - childhood and old age, unfree and foreign status, and the ageless woman characteristic of Athenian red-figure painting. Ceramics are an unparalleled resource for women's lives in ancient Greece, since they show a huge number of female types and activities. Yet it can be difficult to interpret the meanings of these images, especially when they seem to conflict with literary sources. This much-needed study shows that it is vital to see the vases as archaeology as well as art, since context is the key to understanding which images can stand as evidence for the real lives of women, and which should be reassessed.

276 pages, Hardcover

First published June 28, 2002

Reviews

[Meggan Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a 3,000 word review of this book that I wrote for my class, but I'll save you all from that.
This book is a phenomenal study of women in Athenian Iconography that critically considers so many elements and that provides an exemplar of what feminist archaeological scholarship should look like in the 21st century in terms of intersectionality etc.
Lewis did a fabulous job, and this is a book that can and should be picked up by all people, from experts on Athenian iconography to complete newbies. Everyone can learn something from this book.