A review by alexiasophii
Goddesses, Whores, Wives and Slaves: Women in Classical Antiquity by Sarah B. Pomeroy

5.0

I finally had the chance of reading and finishing this book and I loved it. This book is amazing and I love how detailed and accurate it is. The author is an academic so all of her work is based on historical sources which, for me, as history student, is ideal. I have a big problem with most books about the Sacred Feminine or about Women in History because there's a big tendency to just say things and not back it up with historical references. Some authors tend to say "Women did this" or "Goddesses were portrayed like this" but show no source to these affirmations and I really don't like that since I have no way of understanding where it came from. This book is not like that, the author writes in a very clear but detailed way and provides all the sources necessary for the reader to understand and check the information she's giving us.

I had a different image of how life for women was in Ancient Greece and it was an eye opener to read this book, specially to understand that women were treated differently depending on what part of the Ancient Greece they were with a huge contrast between Athens and Sparta (I prefer Sparta). Also when it comes to Rome, I love how she explained everything and traced several parallels to Egypt and to previous Hellenistic period to show a comparison of how things were. Also enjoyed a small chapter on the cult of Isis which had a huge impact on the history of Women in Classical Antiquity.

I got this book from the Library at my University but I'm going to purchase a copy for myself since this book is amazing, indeed.