Athena's Sisters
Reclaiming the Women of Classical Athens
Published on 12. February 2026
Book
Hardback
406 pages
978-1-009-67232-0 (ISBN)
Description
Athena's Sisters transforms our understanding of Classical Athenian culture and society by approaching its institutions-kinship, slavery, the economy, social organisation-from women's perspectives. It argues that texts on dedications and tombstones set up by women were frequently authored by those women. This significant body of women's writing offers direct insights into their experiences, values, and emotions. With men often absent, women redefined the boundaries of the family in dialogue with patriarchal legal frameworks. Beyond male social and political structures, women defined their identities and relationships through their own institutions. By focusing on women's engagement with other women, rather than their relationships to men, this timely and necessary book reveals the richness and dynamism of women's lives and their remarkable capacity to shape Athenian society and history.
Reviews / Votes
'Katherine Backler shows how much we can learn about women's actual lives and relationships to one another from fourth-century BC orations and inscriptions, all of which offer much more specific information about the authentic lives of women in the ancient Greek world than can be gleaned from epic and drama. The result is a more detailed, dynamic and positive picture of women's lives than can be derived from literary texts alone.' Mary Lefkowitz, Mellon Professor Emerita in the Humanities and Professor Emerita of Classical Studies at Wellesley College 'This is an exciting contribution to a growing body of scholarship showing that ancient Athenian women had distinct identities and agency beyond their roles as wives and mothers. Drawing on a range of sources including forensic oratory and inscriptions, Backler uncovers the perspectives and even possibly the voices of these multifaceted women from antiquity. This book is original and likely to gain a wide audience.' Sara Forsdyke, Josiah Ober Collegiate Professor of Ancient History, University of MichiganMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Illustrations
Worked examples or Exercises; 20 Halftones, color
Dimensions
Height: 230 mm
Width: 154 mm
Thickness: 33 mm
Weight
818 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-009-67232-0 (9781009672320)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
02/2026
Cambridge University Press
€36.99
Available for download
Person
KATHERINE BACKLER is a Career Development Fellow in Ancient History at Trinity College, Oxford. Previously she was an Examination Fellow at All Souls College.
Content
Introduction; 1. Diognete and Nikarete: women's networks through women's lives; 2. Hipparkhe and Piste: women shaping kinship; 3. Thesmonike and Praxagora: relationships between enslaving and enslaved women; 4. Melinna and Phanostrate: how women's work shaped women's relationships; 5. Euthylla and Biote: women's friendships; Conclusion.