Women in Greek novels: Reality and representation
Lalanne, Sophie
Women in Greek novels: Reality and representation - 2019.
20
Greek novels of love and adventure give a large space to women characters, not only heroines, but also secondary characters and extras. But if their number may appear similar to what it really was in civic societies of the Eastern Roman Empire, a methodical study reveals that this number is underestimated and that it reflects a representation of Greek society which increases the role of public spaces at the expense of private spaces, as well as the place of margins in the world of the Greek cities compared with civic societies. By the same token men are over-represented, on an individual level but even more when groups are considered. To gather information about the status and activities of women is a second step. Elite women as well as women belonging to the working-class are considered. But one of the major interests of the Greek novels remains the accurate description of the cycle of a Greek woman’s life.
Women in Greek novels: Reality and representation - 2019.
20
Greek novels of love and adventure give a large space to women characters, not only heroines, but also secondary characters and extras. But if their number may appear similar to what it really was in civic societies of the Eastern Roman Empire, a methodical study reveals that this number is underestimated and that it reflects a representation of Greek society which increases the role of public spaces at the expense of private spaces, as well as the place of margins in the world of the Greek cities compared with civic societies. By the same token men are over-represented, on an individual level but even more when groups are considered. To gather information about the status and activities of women is a second step. Elite women as well as women belonging to the working-class are considered. But one of the major interests of the Greek novels remains the accurate description of the cycle of a Greek woman’s life.
Réseaux sociaux