Women Intellectuals in Antiquity, Keble College, Oxford, February 15–16, 2020

Aspasia, Hypatia, Sappho, Lucretia, Cleopatra, Diotima, Lavinia, Monica, Hecuba, Macrina, Radegund: the names of women intellectuals and the whispers of their powerful influence on philosophy, politics, literature, and education are scattered through the ancient evidence.

Who were these women teachers and philosophers, thought-leaders and theorists of Antiquity? Beyond how they are presented and used by male authors, how might their own thoughts and voices be fossilized within these ancient texts and other artefacts– and what methodological tools do we need to develop in order to excavate them? What can be recovered of the distinctive ideas and methods these women contributed to philosophy, literature, theology, or politics?

This Symposium aims to bring together scholars from across the humanities disciplines to discuss women intellectuals in Antiquity. In addition to paper sessions, it will feature two round-table discussions led by Peter Adamson and Armand D’Angour.

Textual case studies on individual women intellectuals in Antiquity (through the 7th century C.E.) are welcome, as well as papers addressing the methodological question more broadly. ‘Women intellectuals’ may be interpreted broadly and can include figures from literature as well as history, but the focus of the paper should be on the distinctive intellectual contributions, or method of engaging in intellectual pursuits demonstrated by the woman in question.