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Literacy

Literacy in antiquity is a difficult subject; the words grammatikos and agrammatikos (literate and iliterate) do not exist until used by Xenophon in the 4th century BCE. Writing itself was technically complex, as was reading - with wax, stylus, and awkward papyrus scrolls. Fast reading was simply not required in society before the 5th century BCE, so being illiterate or of limited literacy was not as significant as it is today.

In inscriptions, women's names appear early and often. An example exists of a woman's name in the dative cae in 7th century BCE; but this form of adress may have been intended to be read by messenger. Formulaic love messages on vases to men & women frequent from very early dates, but all appear to originate from men - though this does not preclude women reading.

Of 32 vases showing women with book rolls, 19 are muses and 13 show domestic scenes. Not counting the muse scenes, such vases make the theme almost as common for women as for men; counting the muses places the female themed vases in the majority.. Susan Cole (1981) assesses that, given that many vases have domestic themes, this makes it an everyday occurence rather than an idealized situation. In spite of this, and the featuring of writing materials on many vases, there are no examples showing women writing. In literature, Euripedes' Phaidra knows how to read and write, but she appears to be the sole example. In terms of being literate enough to pass the skill to their children, two examples exist; on is a vase which shows a woman with a scroll and a young boy, the other is a reference by Herodotus (Histories 4-78) which refers to a Scythian king "but his mother was of Istria, and not native-born; and she taught him to speak and read Greek.", likely in the 6th century BCE. As such, while by modern standards literacy was exceedngly low, it is significant to note that in a time where the vast majority of men were illiterate, literacy among women was not unusual enough to warrant surprise. But some opposition already stats to show; again indicating that there must have been a worthwhile number of literate women for this atitude to develop; Theophrastus points out that women should have letters, but only enought to run the house; any more making them meddlesome and lazy(Characters 4). Plato acknowledges educated women in a matter-of-fact way in Laws (658d), but there is not much evidence for literacy ouside of Athens during the Classical period. Spartan vase inscriptions exist, but there is no evidence of the letters Plutarch said Spartan women wrote to sons.

By the 3rd century BCE there is the example of a lead tablet from a woman asking a question to the oracle at Dodona; something whe must have done herself, as the oracle demanded confidentiality, as well as a tablet with a curse written by a woman who calls herself a molybdokoros - "inscriber of tablets"

Schooling of women not attested to before the Hellenistic period; therefore any schooling would have been done at home. But by this time, there is evidence of women helping their sons with homework. By the 2nd century BCE there are schools for both boys and girls in Teos, though girls only received basic education. In Pergamon during this period girls received instruction n a broader range of subjects, including poetry and penmanship. Women also served as gymnasiarchos, while literacy was not a prerequisite for this position, it does speak to girls attending the gymnasion. It appears that girls during this period did not study subjects such as rhetoric or mathematics . By the turn of the millenium, there is evidence that girls as young as nine years old knew how to read.

By the 1st century Plutarch argues for more extensive education of women, and considers them to be capable of understanding philosophy, while Lucian speaks of common prostitutes knowing how to read at least inscriptions on walls. Many letters to and from women exist from this period; while it does not attest to literacy (scribes being common), it does attest to a growing need for written communication.

By 2nd century in Egypt, literacy appears to be fairly routine; examples include an officer bringing a book to his daughter as a gift, a woman listing her occupation as γραμματική (grammatiki) or "secretary". Though assessing overall literacy during this period is difficult due to the small number of women mentioned in documents, it is interesting to note that a smaller proportion are mentioned as either illiterate or barely literate than among men. To provide context, by the 3rd century, only a third of miiddle class men were at all literate in Oxyrhynchus.

Women as philosophers

Literacy amongst Greek women was not limited to simple reading and writing; theuy were also active in the study of philosophy. Although many historians have characterized women accompanying the philosophers as doing so for sexual purposes, there is no actual evidence of this being the case. While it has been stated that only hetaera accompanied men in philosophical discussions, of 26 women associated with philosophy, Wider was only able to classify seven of them as hetaera. The remainder were either married, virgin, or of unknown status.

The presense of women in Pythagoras's school was not considered unusual; including his wife Theano, as well as his daughters Myia, Damo, and Aignote. Pythagorean communities, including that at Crotona, admitted men and women equally and are seen by Wider as "a revival of matriarchal conditions" According to Diogenes Laertius (Lives Book 8 Ch 5), "Aristoxenus asserts that Pythagoras derived the greater part of his ethical doctrines from Themistoclea, the priestess at Delphi". The same document notes that on his death, Pythagoras left his documents to Damo. Finally, Iamblichus of Chalcis points to the courage of a female follower of Pythagoras . Aspasia is mentioned along with several other women as teachers and influences by Socrates. In the 4th century BCE, Lastheneia of Mantinea and Axiothea of Phlius attended Plato's lectures, and he wrote much of Diotima of Mantinea. Scholars have argued that the latter is a fictional character based on Aspasia, though Wider argues convincingly, and cites several other recent scholars, that she was likely a historical reality. The following small sampling should adequately demonstrate the breadth of female involvement in philosophy of the time.

During Hellenistic period, Arete ran the Cyrenaic school after death of her father Aristippus in 350 BCE. Hipparchia the Cynic (c. 328 BCE) is said to have written several treatises. Leontion, a Hetaera, wrote a treatise against Theophrastus (who also had female disciples) while a disciple of Epicurus, who incidentally allowed free-born and slaves, men and women, equal access to his garden.

Although she is somewhat later, no synopsis of female Greek philosophers would be complete without mention of Hypatia. Her contemporary, the Christian historiographer Socrates Scholasticus in his Ecclesiastical History portrays her as a follows:

"There was a woman at Alexandria named Hypatia, daughter of the philosopher Theon, who made such attainments in literature and science, as to far surpass all the philosophers of her own time.