Women's life in Greece & Rome : a source book in translation /

Originally publishing their source book in 1982 (CH, Feb'83), Lefkowitz (emer., classical studies, Wellesley College) and Fant (independent researcher, Rome) continue to add to the works noted in previous editions. While fragments of women's voices are scarce, the authors select a variety of resources to represent women in ancient Greece and Rome. Most excerpts are from men writing about a specific woman or general observations about women's experiences. The authors categorize their 500-plus translations into women's voices (including "women's words in men's mouths"), men's opinions, women's roles, legal status, private life, occupations, medicine and anatomy, and religion. Selecting many unique pieces, the authors "have chosen here to concentrate on documents that describe the lives of women in specific historical contexts. We have further narrowed the field by choosing documents that can speak for themselves, with a minimum of editorial comment." Each category includes footnotes to link primary writings and provides a concordance of sources. Complements Bonnie MacLachlan's Women in Ancient Rome: A Sourcebook (CH, May'14, 51-4798), as well as digital resources such as Diotima (CH, Oct'05, 43-1104), last updated in 2011, and a broader resource, Perseus Digital Library (CH, Jun'15, 52-5096). Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. --Mila C. Su, SUNY Plattsburgh