Unveiling Spartan Women

Ancient Sparta is best known today for its military orientation, the rigorous training of its youth to serve in Greece's most truly "professional" army, and the suppression of its neighbours that made its focus on war both possible and necessary. Among ancient authors, however, Sparta's women proved equally fascinating and were believed to possess far greater sexual, economic, and political power than their counterparts in the rest of ancient Greece. The image of the liberated or licentious Spartan woman has continued to intrigue modern scholars, who have hoped to find in Sparta the exception to the general rule of Greek patriarchy and misogyny. This volume seeks to demystify the Spartan female experience and to assess the reality behind the mirage of the empowered Spartan female. It analyzes both the ancient sources on Spartan women and the modern scholarly use of such sources. It examines the roles that women played in particular areas of Spartan society: religious activity, the economy, politics, and warfare.