Matrona Docta: Educated Women in the Roman Elite from Cornelia to Julia Domna

by Emily A. Hemelrijk

Overview

Matrona Docta presents a unique study of the education of upper-class women in Roman society in the central period of Roman history, from the second century BC to AD 235.
Emily A. Hemelrijk reconstructs women's opportunities to acquire an education, the impediments they faced, the level of education they could reach and the judgement on educated women in Roman society. She examines also the role of women as patronesses of literature, learning and Roman women's writing.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415196932
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	06/24/1999
Series:	Classical Monographs Series
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	400
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Emily A. Hemelrijk is a lecturer in Ancient History at the University of Leiden. She has published numerous articles on Roman women in various learned journals

Table of Contents

List of plates, Acknowledgements, List of abbreviations, Some useful dates, Introduction, 1 The social position of upper-class women, 2 The education of upper-class women: opportunities and impediments, 3 The education of upper-class women: aims and opinions, 4 Patronesses of literature and learning, 5 Women and writing: poetry, 6 Women and writing: prose, Conclusions, Notes, Translations, Bibliography, Index of passages

Editorial Reviews

‘Among many other things, the book will function as an excellent catalogue of existing sources to female literacy in antiquity. The author gives proof of sound judgement and sobriety in her way of formulating criteria and providing arguments. She displays a good critical eye in the handling of sources. She has always an open eye to the complexity of her subject and escapes the temptation to oversimplify reasons and answers. - Gunhild Viden, Gnomon

From the Publisher