Athena's Sisters

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.

Author Biography

KATHERINE BACKLER is a Career Development Fellow in Ancient History at Trinity College, Oxford. Previously she was an Examination Fellow at All Souls College.