He instructed his daughter from a young age, and she became well known for her ability to dive very deep and swim long distances. Hydna was trained to swim by her father, Scyllis of Scione, a diving instructor and expert swimmer who taught the art of swimming for a living. One scholar stated that, “To ask questions about Aspasia’s life is to ask questions about half of humanity.”
Aspasia is mentioned in the writings of Plato, Aristophanes, Xenophon and others.Īspasia’s role in history provides crucial insight to the understanding of the ancient Greeek women because so very little is known about women from her time period. Several scholars have credited ancient depictions of Aspasia as a brothel keeper and a prostitute, though this has been disputed. Although she spent most of her adult life in Greece, few details of her life are fully known. Public DomainĪspasia was the influential lover and partner of Athenian statesman Pericles in Classical-era Athens.Īccording to Plutarch, her house became an intellectual center in Athens, attracting the most prominent writers and thinkers, including the philosopher Socrates.Īspasia was a metic, or a foreigner who spent most her life in Greece, who had some powers of Greek citizenship. Plutarch quotes Queen Gorgo as follows: “When asked by a woman from Attica, ‘Why are you Spartan women the only ones who can rule men?’ she said: ‘Because we are also the only ones who give birth to men.'”Īspasia of Athens Marble herma in the Vatican Museums inscribed with Aspasia’s name at the base. This indicates either that Gorgo was highly thought of by Herodotus, who often left out the names of the female figures he included in his books, or that as the wife of Leonidas I, her actions and counsel were all the more noteworthy. Herodotus says that Gorgo was the only person to uncover the hidden message, instructing the Spartans to “scrape the wax away” to find the secret message.
The second time Gorgo aided Sparta was when the Spartans were sent a tablet by Demaratus that contained a secret message. Herodotus says that Gorgo, aged around eight years old, managed to stop her father, Cleomenes I, being bribed by Aristagoras of Miletus to help out in the Ionian Revolt. Two events in Herodotus’ histories show Gorgo giving council to her father Cleomenes I and the Spartans. She is noted as one of the few ancient Greek women who was actually named by Herodotus, and was known for her political judgment and wisdom. Gorgo was the wife of King Leonidas I, Cleomenes’ half-brother, who fought and died in the Battle of Thermopylae. The School of Cyrene provided one of the first approaches to hedonism, which surfaced again in 18th and 19th century Europe and was advanced by thinkers such as Jeremy Bentham. Towards the end of Plato’s Protagoras it is reasoned that the “salvation of our life” depends upon applying to pleasures and pains a “science of measurement”.
Whereas negative emotions, such as anger and fear, multiplied pain. The Cyrenaics argued that discipline, knowledge, and virtuous actions are more likely to result in pleasure. It was one of the first to advance a systematic view on the role of pleasure and pain in human life. While no credible historic source has survived on Arete’s teachings, the tenets of the School of Cyrene which her father founded are known. She was the daughter of Aristippus of Cyrene who had himself learned philosophy from Socrates. While her importance as a poet is confirmed from the earliest times, all interpretations of her work have been colored and influenced by discussions of her sexuality.Īrete was a philosopher who lived in Cyrene, Libya. Use the list below to find your last name and learn about its meaning and origins.Sappho’s poetry is still considered extraordinary and her works continue to influence other writers.īeyond her poetry, she is well known as a symbol of love and desire between women, with the English words sapphic and lesbian being derived from her own name and the name of her home island respectively. Today, Greek women are more likely to use their family name for life. Then, they used a feminine version of their husband's name. Women traditionally used a feminine version of their father's name until they got married. Last names have historically been derived from a nickname, a place name or from the patron of the family. It was only then that upper-class families began to use family names. Until the 11th and 12 centuries, last names were rare in ancient Greece.
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