Giving a name to priestesses in Ancient Greece (fifth to first century BCE)
Type de matériel :
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This article examines the ways in which women were given names in Ancient Greece, and how sex difference operated in the context of naming practices. It draws on epigraphs and in particular honorific decrees – texts carved in stone and often placed in public space – honouring a person for his/her actions benefiting the city. Women were chiefly honoured in this type of text if they held a religious position, such as priestess. Starting from an Athenian decree honouring a priestess by the name of Timokrite, this study will explore the role of gender, by examining the manner in which priestesses were chosen and asking what this procedure indicated about their status and function. It will show that certain women were able, in their role as priestess, to have citizen status and carry out the political functions of a magistrate.
Réseaux sociaux