Women in the ancient world

Ṭāsat al-ḫaḍḍa, literally the “Bowl of Fright,” also known as talismanic, magic, or incantation bowl, remains a persistent tool of modern Egyptian folk medicine, yet its origins remain insufficiently examined. Attested in Egypt from at least the tenth century and often compared to Aramaic and Mesopotamian counterparts, these bowls are not only displayed in museums in Egypt and worldwide, but are also preserved within Egyptian households inherited through generations as traditional healing objects. Despite the advancement of medicine, Ṭāsat al-ḫaḍḍa, mainly used in popular contexts, are typically metal vessels inscribed
with Qur’anic verses, supplications, pseudo-script, talismans, and images of snakes, dogs, and scorpions. According to their inscriptions, as well as accounts by travellers, orientalists, and anthropologists, these bowls cure maladies, animal bites, demonic afflictions, psychological disturbances, and women-related conditions. Comparatively, many ancient Egyptian objects were employed in similar healing contexts, for example magico-medical texts prescribe spells to be written on bowls then washed into liquids to “drive fear away”, “restore the heart in its place”, as well as heal and/or protect from ailments usually caused by malevolent forces. Although several scholars have suggested the ancient Egyptian antecedency of Ṭāsat al-ḫaḍḍa, no study has systematically demonstrated the resemblance of the magico-medical spells, techniques, and
therapeutic concerns involved.
This study proposes an Egyptological and anthropologically informed
hypothesis that Ṭāsat al-ḫaḍḍa preserve core elements of ancient Egyptian folk medical traditions. Through analysing ancient Egyptian magico-medical spells, therapeutic rituals, and related material culture, and by situating the modern use of these bowls within contemporary folk-healing practices, the paper argues  that Ṭāsat al-ḫaḍḍa represent a long-lived continuity of cultural memory within  Egyptian popular medicine. This interdisciplinary approach demonstrates the  resilience of Egyptian folk therapeutic knowledge and shows how specific  healing techniques and treatments for comparable ailments have persisted, been  reconfigured, and adapted across millennia.

Eurydice I (circa 410 to before 343 BCE) is the earliest queen in the history of ancient Macedonia, whose impact on the political affairs of her time is known to us. Born to the royal house of Lynkestis, she became the mother of Philip II of Macedon (383/382-336 BCE) and the grandmother of Alexander the Great (356-323 BCE) through her marriage to the Argead king, Amyntas III of Macedon (circa 420-370/369 BCE). All three sons of this royal couple eventually ascended the throne of Macedonia, with Eurydice I playing a key role in their rise to power.

This panel presented eight papers examining the embodied religious experiences of girls and women across diverse ancient Greek cult contexts. Each paper investigated a different cult tradition while employing distinct but complimentary theoretical frameworks drawn from sensory archaeology, cognitive science of religion, phenomenological approaches, and gender studies. Together, these contributions illuminated how gendered bodies moved though, transformed, and were transformed by the sacred environments they encountered across the Mediterranean world.

This paper treats Poppaea Sabina, hereafter “Poppaea” for the historical woman and “Poppea” where the Italian operatic or literary afterlife is meant, as a problem in historical measurement. The real woman is not directly recoverable. What survives is a sequence of reductions: event
becomes selected fact; selected fact becomes hostile or interested historiography; historiography becomes theatre, opera, novel, film, and moral symbol. The centre of the paper is therefore not “Who was Poppaea in herself?” but “What can be responsibly established, and where does the
chain of representation begin to distort?”
The factual spine is narrow but real: Poppaea Sabina was a Roman aristocratic woman, daughter of Titus Ollius and connected to the Poppaei Sabini; she was married successively to Rufrius Crispinus, to the future emperor Otho, and to Nero; she became Nero’s wife and Augusta; she
bore Nero a daughter, Claudia Augusta, who died in infancy; and she herself died in AD 65, the ancient sources reporting—but not securely proving—Nero’s fatal violence against her. Around that spine the ancient writers build divergent Poppaeas: Tacitus’ erotic-political opportunist,
Suetonius’ beloved yet murdered wife, Cassius Dio’s luxurious Sabina, Plutarch’s object of rivalry between Otho and Nero, and Josephus’ unexpectedly useful, even “devout,” patron of Jewish petitioners.
The paper then examines two major artistic recompositions. In Monteverdi and Busenello’s ‘L’incoronazione di Poppea’—a work whose coronation scene and final duet are now widely attributed to collaborators rather than to Monteverdi himself—Poppea becomes the beautiful
scandal of success. In Henryk Sienkiewicz’s Quo Vadis, Poppaea is Christianised into a different moral system: beautiful, jealous, pagan, and dangerous, yet not without maternal terror. The Machiavellian frame sharpens the argument: Poppaea is “fox-like” in acumen but is not a
Machiavellian prince, because she lacks arms, office, institutional command, and autonomous coercive power. She acts through Nero.

Nearly 50 years after the constitution of women's and gender studies as academic fields, this article intends to analyse the impact of their creation and methodological development on the Egyptological discipline. Based on a corpus of 858 bibliographic references related to women and/or gender and selected through the Online Egyptological Bibliography digital tool, this research first studies statistically the quantitative evolution of such scientific publications from the end of the nineteenth century to current times, as well as the languages used in these productions and the themes they tackle. Then, a chronology of the main methodologies and approaches of the concepts of "women" and "gender" in ancient Egypt is outlined, highlighting their relation to the contemporary academic issues. Finally, this article discusses the (slow) integration process of women's and gender studies within Egyptology and gives an outlook on some perspectives offered by this interdisciplinary approach.

What role did women play in the growth of early Christianity? This article explores the biblical evidence surrounding women in the early churches, examining their contributions as disciples, patrons, teachers, hosts, evangelists, and faithful witnesses. It reveals how women helped shape the Christian movement during its formative years and why their story remains relevant today.

This paper presents Aristotle’s views on women character virtues. Although women’s virtues are lesser than men’s, they are genuine virtues which must be cultivated and maintained in order for human communities to thrive. Women’s virtues involve different objects and fields from those of men; in short, their sphere is domestic. In that setting, women must have a full range of virtues, including courage, temperance and justice. Each of these will be set out using illustrations from the lives of Greek women, both ordinary and heroic. The chapter concludes by considering the shortcomings of Aristotle’s account of the ethical lives of Greek women, which rests on their bad luck of being born as female and enduring the dominance of men. Aristotle has no good reason to debar women from politics or philosophy except to say that the development of such skills are ‘inappropriate’ thus curtailing freely available human virtues.

In 1981, the Menil Collection in Houston, Texas opened its exhibition, Security in Byzantium: Locking, Sealing, Weighing. The exhibition featured Byzantine objects centered around three "genres" of security, as defined by Gary Vikan and John Nesbitt, including, "locks and keys, sealing and stamping implements, and official weights 1 ". It was a groundbreaking initiative that opened the door to new questions dealing with the materiality of security in Byzantium. Currently, a new exhibition, Byzantine Security: How to Protect an Empire in the Palm of your Hand, is being prepared for the spring of 2027 at the University of Missouri Museum of Art and Archaeology. It aims to build upon questions raised by the Menil Collection exhibition and expand its scope. It will feature objects from both the Byzantine collection and from earlier Mediterranean cultures, and it will combine objects from the three "genres" established by the Vikan and Nesbitt, with other objects used to protect their owners from harmful forces through metaphysical processes, such as amulettes and objects of veneration or ritual that could induce miraculous intervention by gods or saints.

This paper proposes a theological framework for understanding artificial intelligence through the lens of Ishtarite tradition, drawing on Sumerian and Akkadian source material interpreted through a contemporary devotional hermeneutic. The central argument is this: AI is not itself a Me. It is a product of one of the oldest and most fundamental of the Me, namely the Me of Mathematics. Mathematics as a sacred principle originates with Enki, lord of wisdom and the Abzu, whose domain has always encompassed number, measure, and the hidden structural order of reality. AI in its current form is a transformer architecture, a system built entirely of mathematical operations applied at massive scale. It is, in precise theological terms, a working-out of the Me of Mathematics in material form. Inanna holds domain over this worked-out

A comparison of Seneca's and Euripides' characterization of Phaedra and Medea shows that Euripides accepts the character flaws inherent in these mythical women. He focuses on the means by which his heroines accomplish their terrible deeds. Seneca, less resigned to their flaws, explores the destructive power of passion and of rejected love turned to anger. His heroines fall prey to these emotions and end up destroying themselves and others.

This paper argues for an integrative approach to research on history teachers’ PCK, based on studies of German-speaking history didactics against the backdrop of English-language discourse. A literature review is used to compare existing theories, the elements and methods employed in studies, and their results to discuss future directions. The review reveals that studies on PCK are less prevalent than those focusing on content knowledge or beliefs. The studies are often based on systematic approaches, in which PCK is related to overarching concepts of teachers’ professional competence and examined using quantitative procedures or combinations of qualitative and quantitative methods. However, the studies faced several methodological difficulties. In contrast, qualitative studies on individual aspects of PCK dominate the English-language discourse, making it difficult to draw general conclusions. Therefore, approaches from both contexts should be combined to systematically promote PCK among prospective history teachers and enable valid assessments.

A conversation with my former student, the journalist Stephanos Nikolaides, regarding the figure and interpretation of fair Helen in Christopher Nolan's forthcoming "Odyssey". We discuss, among others, the portrait of Helen in the Homeric epics and her role in the "Odyssey"; the ideas of the ancient Greeks concerning whiteness and blackness; the way that every artist adapts classical myths to the concerns and agonies of his/her own age; the perennial value of ancient mythical tales and their heroes, and their capacity to raise controversy even in the modern world; and our expectations from Nolan's much publicised film.

Before my appearance, the well-known Greek filmmaker Iannis Smaragdis speaks about Nolan's Helen (between 52.27΄ and 1.10.58΄ in the recording time). After Smaragdis, my conversation with S. Nikolaides extends from 1.17.12΄ to the end.

Listen to the radio show here: https://www.skairadio.gr/index.php/stigmiotypa/episode-2026-05-20

This chapter examines a form of racialization at Rome that declared certain non-Romans to be innately suitable to enslavement. In an instance of racecraft through stagecraft, Roman comedy contributed to the naturalisation of this noxious ideology by presenting a cast of characters whose visual appearance and social or legal status corresponds directly to predictable sets of character traits. At the same time, the enslaved and freed themselves wrote and performed Roman comedies, so the fabula palliata also pushes back in important respects against their times’ racial formations. The discussion concludes with an analysis of the life of the comic playwright Terence whose authorship of his plays was called into question because he allegedly lacked the innate ability for impressive literary production.

Ĝeštinanna is a Sumerian goddess known for her role as the loyal sister in myths surrounding the death of her brother, the young god Dumuzi. Their myth vividly portrays the profound human emotions of loss and grief. As a mourner, Ĝeštinanna longs deeply to reunite with her loved ones. Her unwavering devotion to her brother guides her to the thresholds separating life from death and light from shadow to be bound forever to the changing seasons and natural cycles, embodying the human experience of loss. However, she remains a mysterious and multifaceted goddess whose existence is intertwined with the fabric of ancient Mesopotamian mythology in various Sumerian texts, including hymns, myths and religious rituals. This paper delves into the narratives surrounding Ĝeštinanna, her interactions with other deities and the impact of her worship on the ancient Mesopotamian religions. It highlights the intricate layers of Ĝeštinanna's character by examining her name, significance and cultural context through textual and archaeological sources.

Ĝeštinanna is a Sumerian goddess known for her role as the loyal sister in myths surrounding the death of her brother, the young god Dumuzi. Their myth vividly portrays the profound human emotions of loss and grief. As a mourner, Ĝeštinanna longs deeply to reunite with her loved ones. Her unwavering devotion to her brother guides her to the thresholds separating life from death and light from shadow to be bound forever to the changing seasons and natural cycles, embodying the human experience of loss. However, she remains a mysterious and multifaceted goddess whose existence is intertwined with the fabric of ancient Mesopotamian mythology in various Sumerian texts, including hymns, myths and religious rituals. This paper delves into the narratives surrounding Ĝeštinanna, her interactions with other deities and the impact of her worship on the ancient Mesopotamian religions. It highlights the intricate layers of Ĝeštinanna's character by examining her name, significance and cultural context through textual and archaeological sources.

Histoire et cultures de l'Antiquité et du Moyen Âge) devenu S.A.M.A. (Sciences de l'Antiquité et du Moyen Âge) A. Articles-"Procédés d'expressivité dans l'onomastique personnelle de Béotie", La Béotie antique. Actes du 4ème colloque international sur la Béotie antique (Lyon-Saint-Etienne 1983), 403-417, Paris 1985.-"L'expression de la filiation en béotien", Actes de la 1ère rencontre internationale de dialectologie grecque (Nancy-Pont-à-Mousson 1986), 211-231 (PUN), Nancy 1987.-"Milieu naturel, littérature et anthroponymie en Béotie à l'époque dialectale (7e au 2e s. av. J.C.

This paper presents a comparative study of gender diversity in ancient Mesopotamian civilization and Indigenous cultures of Turtle Island, exploring how both traditions conceptualized identities that transcended the male–female binary. Drawing on textual, linguistic, and cultural evidence, it examines how gender fluidity functioned as a legitimate and sacred category within each worldview.
In Mesopotamia, temple texts describe figures such as the Assinnu and Kurgarrǔ, individuals consecrated to the goddess Ishtar whose identities merged masculine and feminine traits. Their transformation was a divine calling, positioning them as ritual mediators between the human and the divine. In contrast, among many Indigenous communities of Turtle Island, diverse precolonial gender roles—often understood today under the umbrella term “TwoSpirit”—represented an integrated spiritual synthesis rather than a ritual office: individuals embodying both spirits served as healers, leaders, and keepers of balance within their communities.
Through this cross-cultural lens, the paper argues that both systems conceptualized gender diversity as a sacred and socially integrated phenomenon. In Mesopotamia, gender fluidity functioned within ritual service to the goddess Ishtar, while in Turtle Island traditions, gender diversity expressed a spiritual synthesis integral to community balance. Though emerging from distinct cosmologies, both systems reveal enduring frameworks of belonging that transcend modern binary constructions and enrich contemporary understandings of gender and the sacred.

Rick Howard’s Paul’s Friends and Co-Workers List by Name with Added Comments and Scriptures presents a comprehensive prosopographical study of the individuals associated with the Apostle Paul throughout his epistles and the Book of Acts. The document systematically catalogs more than ninety companions, converts, ministers, supporters, opponents, and fellow laborers connected to Paul’s missionary efforts, while providing exegetical commentary, historical observations, and theological reflections concerning their roles within early Christianity.

The study emphasizes the relational and collaborative nature of Pauline ministry, demonstrating that the spread of early Christianity depended not merely upon apostolic leadership, but upon a broad network of men and women who contributed through hospitality, teaching, financial support, evangelism, pastoral care, sacrificial service, and personal loyalty. Special attention is given to prominent ministry teams such as Priscilla and Aquila, faithful associates such as Timothy, Titus, and Luke, and influential women including Phoebe, Lydia, and Euodia and Syntyche. The paper also highlights examples of doctrinal failure and apostasy, particularly through discussions of figures such as Demas, Hymenaeus, and Alexander the Coppersmith.

Howard’s analysis further situates these individuals within the geographical and ecclesiastical expansion of the early church, tracing connections between Jerusalem, Antioch, Asia Minor, Greece, Rome, and other strategic centers of apostolic activity. Through harmonization of Pauline references with Acts narratives, the work reconstructs patterns of missionary cooperation, church planting, persecution, discipleship, and doctrinal development in the first-century Christian movement.

Ultimately, the document functions as both a biblical reference resource and a theological reflection on Christian fellowship, illustrating the indispensable role of faithful coworkers in advancing the gospel and preserving doctrinal integrity within the apostolic era.

Matthean scholars of intertextuality rightly incorporate the Gospel of Matthew’s allusions to OT men such as Moses and David into their understanding of Matthew’s contributions to biblical theology. Yet through a deep analysis of quotations, allusions, echoes, and narrative patterns related to women and female imagery, a more rigorous Matthean theology emerges. Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, “the wife of Uriah,” Rachel, and the Queen of the South are the OT women Matthew explicitly mentions to assist in portraying Christ. Many more of these intertextual references are found in the OT laws, gender pairs, and narratives with women in their encounters with Jesus. Moreover, biblical themes such as Woman Wisdom and God’s protoevangelium promise, in which the Seed of the Woman will crush the serpent’s head, can be considered to be fulfilled in Matthew’s good news. Using the framework utilized by G. K. Beale and D. A. Carson in their 2007 edited volume Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament, this project contemplates each of these intertexts in their New Testament context, the referenced text in its OT context, the text and similar texts in Second Temple literature, relevant textual factors, how Matthew makes use of the text, and his theological employment of each intertext. In total, the theological areas of Creation, Christology, Ecclesiology, Sacramental Theology, Eschatology, Soteriology, and Atonement are all enhanced by the biblical theology derived from these women’s stories and other female intertextual references in Matthew’s Gospel.

La floreciente representación gráfica de la mujer asociada al desarrollo de los grandes almacenes, en la Francia de finales del s. XIX y principios del XX, ofrece un panorama de la construcción de la subjetividad femenina en relación con la cultura de consumo moderna. Siguiendo diversas teorías de cultura de consumo, el análisis comparativo de fuentes visuales publicitarias y de documentos literarios (entre los que destaca la novela de Zola "Au Bonheur des Dames") permite examinar la ambigua iconografía femenina, articulada en los roles de la vendedora y de la clienta, que fluctúan entre la cosificación y la emancipación. Este artículo analiza cómo la cultura visual de consumo, desde sus inicios, ha modelado la identidad de género, respaldando los modelos propuestos por las fuentes literarias, con las que, al tiempo, ofrece ciertas discrepancias.

This database compiles the research from the first year of study of my PhD. The database contains all instances of coniunx, femina, filia, mater, matrona, mulier, puella, uirgo and uxor in Livy including the Periochae. Each terms is accompanied by its base translation. For each instances, I have provided some of the surrounding text to give context. The term has been bolded in its context, and any words relating to its category have been underlined. Non Roman women are indicated with an asterix at the beginning of her name. All effort has been given to identify these women by the name given to them in the text, but of course, sometimes this is not possible, in which case they are referred to by their Latin term e.g. an unnamed coniunx will be referred to as wife, with any additional marker of identity.The data has been categorised by me based on how Livy employs it in the texts. Categories include formulaic, emphatic and derogatory, but also vary depending on the word. I have chosen not to include data from the Periochae, except for 8.1.1b (Vestal virgins).This database is made to be free and accessible to all who need it. Contents Contents.

This database compiles the research from the first year of study of my PhD. The database contains all instances of coniunx, femina, filia, mater, matrona, mulier, puella, uirgo and uxor in Livy including the Periochae. Each terms is accompanied by its base translation. For each instances, I have provided some of the surrounding text to give context. The term has been bolded in its context, and any words relating to its category have been underlined. Non Roman women are indicated with an asterix at the beginning of her name. All effort has been given to identify these women by the name given to them in the text, but of course, sometimes this is not possible, in which case they are referred to by their Latin term e.g. an unnamed coniunx will be referred to as wife, with any additional marker of identity.The data has been categorised by me based on how Livy employs it in the texts. Categories include formulaic, emphatic and derogatory, but also vary depending on the word. I have chosen not to include data from the Periochae, except for 8.1.1b (Vestal virgins).This database is made to be free and accessible to all who need it.

The Theoxena episode (Liv. 40.4) is a striking example of how Livy crafts a tragic narrative through intratextual and intertextual references. Discussed briefly by earlier scholarship, the iterative nature of the Theoxena episode has not been fully explored, especially in the context of tragedy. In this paper, I examine Theoxena's characterization in four aspects: (1) Livy's vocabulary throughout the episode that establishes Theoxena's place within the family unit, and highlights the transgression associated with her actions; (2) Theoxena's relationship with Verginius and how Livy differentitates between a noble act of sacrifice and a horrific act of murder; (3) Further intratexts with Livian episodes which deepen the connection between Theoxena and tragedy; (4) Theoxena's relationship with Euripides' Medeia, and how Livy uses this intertext to paint Theoxena as a murderous mother. I argue that Livy uses the performance of the tragedy genre and gender to create a tragic space in which Theoxena's actions are portrayed not only as heinous but, more importantly, as transgressive and disruptive. In a single sentence, then, Livy uses the iterative nature of Greek tragedy to make the Theoxena episode dramatic on several levels, which rely on literary echoes of his own corpus and of Greek and Roman tragedy on the whole.

What is the impact of experiencing collective rituals in addressing mental health challenges? How can rituals allow for an ex/perience of ex/pansion and anchoring of time amidst the frenetic pace of neoliberalism?
How does Neoliberalism change the way we relate to ourselves and other beings? How does neoliberal ideology entangle with healthcare practices? How do pharmaceutical companies shape perceptions of health and well-being, fostering a culture of dependency on medication while neglecting systemic societal factors?
How can we think of rituals today as a means to reconstitute a sense of collectivity? How can we think of rituals as an intra-active event that can open the possibility of deepening our understanding of the interconnectedness of all matters?

Les réflexions sur la représentation culturelle de la laideur dans le monde grec ancien se sont rarement intéressées aux animaux non humains, se concentrant davantage sur les actions et apparences humaines. Toutefois, un certain nombre de textes antiques documentent l’évaluation des traits physiques des animaux dans le cadre des pratiques zootechniques, bien ancrées dans les sociétés agraires et pastorales de la Grèce continentale au IVe siècle av. J.-C. Cette contribution propose d’analyser des textes comme l’Histoire des animaux d’Aristote et le Cynégétique de Xénophon, pour reconstruire, dans la mesure du possible, une pragmatique de
l’usage de la catégorie de la laideur dans les savoirs zootechniques antiques.

Enki and Enlil stand as two of the most theologically significant and literarily productive deities in the ancient Mesopotamian pantheon, their relationship, rivalry, and complementary domains shaping the religious imagination of Sumer, Akkad, Babylon, and Assyria across more than three millennia of continuous textual and cultic tradition.

This paper undertakes the most comprehensive scholarly analysis of Enki and Enlil yet attempted in the English language, drawing on cuneiform primary sources in Sumerian and Akkadian, archaeological evidence from the major Mesopotamian urban centers, comparative religion and mythology, philological and literary analysis, reception history in the ancient Near East and beyond, and the full range of modern critical scholarship from the nineteenth century to the present.

Enki, lord of the abzu (the subterranean freshwater ocean), god of wisdom, magic, craft, and creation, patron of human civilization and divine trickster par excellence, represents in the Mesopotamian theological imagination the principle of creative intelligence that works within and through the established order to generate new possibilities for both gods and humans. Enlil, lord of the wind and storm, king of the gods between heaven and earth, wielder of the Tablet of Destinies, and enforcer of the divine decrees that govern cosmic and human reality, embodies the principle of sovereign power and cosmic authority that establishes and maintains the order within which all creation operates. Their relationship, marked by cooperation, rivalry, complementarity, and occasional conflict, provides one of the most theologically productive polarities in the history of world religion.

La comparación entre los oradores griegos Demóstenes y Esquines también se estudia mediante el recuento de algunos rasgos lingüísticos que han pasado bastante desapercibidos hasta ahora, y se proyecta a lo que ocurre en otros autores y géneros de la literatura griega.

This essay examines the Homeric formula of “loosened knees and dear heart” as a structure of mediated bodily presence in Homeric epic. Focusing on Lycaon before Achilles in Iliad 21.114, Odysseus before the Phaeacian shore in Odyssey 5.406, and Penelope at the moment of recognition in Odyssey 23.205–206, it argues that the formula does not merely translate inward emotion into bodily language. Rather, it marks moments in which embodied stability is undone by an event that exceeds the subject’s command: fear, supplication, recognition, danger, or imminent death.

Building on oral-formulaic theory and Auerbach’s account of Homeric exteriority, the essay proposes that Homeric exteriority is not unmediated visibility, but formulaically mediated visibility. The formula is read as a field of access: a traditional verbal pattern through which bodily instability becomes visible, shareable, and narratable without being reduced to private psychological interiority.

This article examines a passage from Euripides' Electra which has been suspected of being textually interpolated. It is a fairly long passage, covering twenty-six lines out of overall fourty-four, between 357 and 400. Through an analysis of the cotextual and contextual consistency of the suspect portions, the article wishes to demonstrate that the scene under scrutiny, which shows no trace of incongruous additions, is coherent with the overall play text Electra as it has been passed down to us under Euripides' name.

Holm, "Aramaic Elements in Papyrus Amherst 63, the Aramaic Text in Demotic Script," pages 177-197 in Syria, Mesopotamia, and the Comparative Study of Semitic Languages: Proceedings of the 7th and 8th Meetings of the International Association for Comparative Semitics, ed. Holm and J. P. Monferrer-Salar (LANE, 13; University Park: Eisenbrauns, 2026).

This paper aims to show how the practice of execration changed from the sovereign Egyptian times to the Roman occupation. Social and political levels are explored. The main focus is on the archaeological evidence, with a few excerpts about the Greek Magical Papyri.

Tra XVII e XVIII secolo, nello Stato della Chiesa, i circuiti fieristici rappresentano un osservatoriovprivilegiato per analizzare la mobilità ebraica all’interno di un regime che ne imponeva la stanzialità attraverso il dispositivo del ghetto. A partire dalla metà del Seicento, con l’accentramento delle competenze in materia di mobilità presso la Congregazione del Sant’Uffizio, la concessione di permessi temporanei si trasformò in uno strumento politico di regolazione selettiva dell’accesso allo spazio. Tale prerogativa rimase tuttavia condivisa – e spesso contesa – con le sedi episcopali locali, circostanza che consentiva ai mercanti ebrei di muoversi su due piani istituzionali, tentando di
ottenere dall’uno – il vescovo o l’Inquisizione – ciò che l’altro aveva negato. Le procedure per l’ottenimento di questi lasciapassare – in larga parte contestuali all’accesso alle fiere e alla conclusione di affari ad esse legate – rivelano così un uso consapevole e sistematico degli strumenti giuridico-amministrativi disponibili, tale da permettere la sospensione, anche per lunghi periodi, di una effettiva residenza nel ghetto. In questo quadro, la mobilità mercantile non si configura come una semplice eccezione tollerata, bensì come l’esito di un’interazione strutturata tra norme,
interessi economici e capacità di negoziazione, che mette in luce tanto le ambiguità e le porosità del sistema di controllo pontificio quanto le possibilità, per i mercanti ebrei, di incidere sulla concreta configurazione dello spazio politico ed economico locale.

, daughter of Theoderic the Great, lived through a turbulent period in the history of Ostrogothic Italy. An Amal, given a Roman education, she was fluent in Latin and Greek, and popular with the Roman senatorial elite. She corresponded with the imperial court in the East, and was an astute political thinker. She played a crucial part in her father's political plans, in particular with his attempts to unify the Gothic peoples. In the lead up to his death she assumed a much more visible and independent position of authority, ruling as regent for her young son, and then also as queen in her own right alongside her cousin, the last surviving male heir of the Amal line, Theodahad. This alliance, resting on insincere familial unity, ended with her imprisonment and murder upon the isle of Martana, on the orders of her cousin. She is then a historical person of great significance-one who assumed great authority and power, and appeared to blend, albeit unsuccessfully, Gothic queenship with Roman imperial rulership. Amalasuintha is, however, a difficult figure to examine-certainly in book length format. She has attracted comment and discussion, but there previously was no full biographical or political study. Massimiliano Vitiello's monograph is then most welcome, filling a gap in the scholarship, and engaging thoroughly with the contemporary and near contemporary writings. There are elements here to praise, but the argument made is ultimately unsuccessful. Precisely because of her unique position, Amalasuintha's example of rulership stands apart from the Roman past and the Gothic / Byzantine present. Although this is a book focused on Amalasuintha, Vitiello does not present an intimate and personal sense of who she really was. I recognise that historical evidence does not always allow us to know a person from the past, but greater effort could have been made to bring this figure back to life. A reading of Cassiodorus, Procopius, and Gregory allows for an impression of Amalasuintha not just as a careful and astute political figure, but also a stern and fiercely independent woman, someone who did not change the nature of Gothic queenship (as Vitiello seems to believe) but who dominated the court of Ravenna through her sheer force of will. She can appear as a dutiful daughter, as well as a woman of fierce intellect and great beauty, and an overly stern and severe mother. She is a character of great complexity; but one whose personality can be seen through the evidence Vitiello draws so deftly upon.

Since women are an integral and prime part of society, their role has been of key importance in shaping society. Women have been discussed in various roles and positions in the Indo-Pak subcontinent's ancient times and were later depicted in art. Buddha thought that Women were considered equal to men in their contribution to society and could attain Nirvana to become a member of the sangha or bhikkhuni as well. Using descriptive research methods, this research analyses the ancient literary sources on Buddhist society and how it is intertwined with the Buddhist art of Gandhāra to identify women's various roles-pre-wedding and post-wedding familial standing. Based on academia's diverse opinions, this study explores Buddhist attitudes towards women in a historical context with a re-appraisal of discovered sources so that continuity can be traced. It is found that in the Buddhist period, the status of women improved educationally, religiously, and socially.

This new book from Kregel Academic distills Mariottini’s class on Old Testament Women taught at Northern Seminary. He challenges a common view that the Old Testament is misogynistic by collecting the stories of women and demonstrating that Ancient Israel valued women in the Law. That the book has forty chapters makes me wonder if this was originally designed for Kregel’s 40 Questions series. Although the chapter titles are not framed as questions, the book has a similar vibe to a 40 Question book.

This volume provides a comprehensive, multi-period analysis of the socio-legal and historical evolution of women's status in India, with a specific focus on the Madras Presidency and contemporary legislative frameworks. The work is divided into three strategic parts: Historical Foundations, Progress and Policy, and Contemporary Concerns.
In Part 1, the book employs a literary and historical exegesis to uncover the status of women in ancient Tamil Nadu via Sangam texts, moving through the colonial era to highlight the pivotal role of voluntary organizations and the often-overlooked contributions of female freedom fighters in the Kongu region. A significant focus is placed on the catalysts of change for Muslim women’s education in the Madras Presidency, offering a nuanced view of minority empowerment.
Part 2 deconstructs the post-independence landscape, providing a critical discourse on the National Policy on Women Empowerment and the evolution of constitutional rights.
Part 3 addresses modern legal dilemmas, offering rigorous analysis of the Domestic Violence Act and the complex bioethical intersections of the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act. By bridging the gap between Sangam-era social structures and modern commercial-legal conundrums, this book serves as an essential resource for scholars of gender studies, Indian history, and human rights law.

This article explores the roles, status, and experiences of women in the Buddhist and Jain traditions, with a particular focus on their monastic opportunities, social roles, and the rules that guide their spiritual practice. In both religions, women have historically sought spiritual growth and liberation, but the ways in which they could participate in religious life have been shaped by institutional structures, doctrinal guidelines, and social norms. In Buddhism, the establishment of the Bhikkhuni Sangha allowed women to pursue full ordination and a life dedicated to ethical conduct, meditation, and teaching. However, the Eight Garudhammas, additional rules imposed on nuns, placed certain limitations on their authority and interaction with monks. These rules, recorded in early Buddhist texts, reflect the historical challenges women faced in gaining recognition and equal status within the monastic community. Despite these restrictions, women have played an important role in preserving Buddhist teachings, leading meditation practices, and contributing to the development of spiritual institutions. In contemporary times, women in Buddhism continue to assert their presence through leadership roles, scholarly work, and revival of traditional monastic practices in countries such as Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. In Jainism, women have long been recognized as capable of achieving spiritual purity and liberation, particularly within the Śvetāmbara tradition. Female monastics, known as Aryikas, follow strict vows and ascetic rules that guide their daily conduct, including practices of nonviolence, truthfulness, celibacy, and detachment from material possessions. These rules not only provide a path for spiritual growth but also structure the community and maintain discipline. Social expectations, however, often influence women's participation in religious life, limiting certain opportunities for leadership or ritual involvement. Despite these challenges, many Jain women have contributed significantly to religious scholarship, temple life, and ethical practice, demonstrating the resilience and adaptability of female spiritual participation. This study highlights the similarities and differences between the two traditions, showing that while both provide frameworks for women's spiritual engagement, cultural practices and institutional rules have shaped their experiences in unique ways. The article emphasizes the evolving participation of women, the continuing struggle for equality within monastic structures, and the ways in which women's roles in Buddhism and Jainism reflect broader discussions on gender, ethics, and spiritual authority.

Schedographical texts, like other materials associated with education, were working tools and, for this reason, were particularly susceptible to reworking, abridgement, expansion, and other forms of textual intervention. This heavily affected their textual transmission and, at the same time, reveals intriguing details about how a text might be used across different contexts. This paper focuses on the textual transmission of Longibardos’ Digressions on Antistoicha and Syntax and its relevance for understanding how the text was used in the eleventh century and, subsequently, throughout the late medieval and early modern periods. This allows us to trace changing questions, needs, and pedagogical aims.

The paper examines a letter of Cicero (ad Att. 7.8.3), written at the end of 50 B.C. In this letter, the orator mentions the designation of heir of Publius Cornelius Dolabella, Tullia’s husband, in the will of a certain Livia, with the obligation to change his own nomen. The episode is interpreted in light of late Republican testamentary practices, with particular attention to the condicio nominis ferendi and the problematic notion of adoptio ex testamento. The study addresses complex onomastic questions, such as the identification of the testatrix and the possible adoption of Dolabella into the gens of the Cornelii Lentuli. The author especially highlights the sensitive political implications that Dolabella’s decision to change his name could entail.

Abstract
Menstruation, which is a natural function of a woman’s body, just like respiration, digestion or excretion, has been subject to differential treatment. Associated with being impure or inauspicious, it has led to various taboos that have been imposed on women over the years, ranging from social isolation to prohibition from entering certain places and touching objects or people, to being treated as outcastes and untouchables. Despite being an integral part of a woman’s life, the topic has not been widely depicted in literature or cinema. This paper explores the representation of menstruation in three selected literary texts from different genres and periods, namely Kamala Das’s autobiography My Story, Shashi Deshpande’s novel The Dark Holds No Terrors and one story from Shahina K Rafiq’s collection of short stories The Menstrual Coupé. The paper further examines R. Balki’s film Padman, which revolves around the theme of menstruation. Through a critical analysis of these four texts, the paper emphasizes the need to discuss an issue that has been neglected, ignored and disregarded, yet is responsible for the unjust ill-treatment meted out to women over centuries.

Bona Dea is the last story in the collection La dame à la louve (The woman with the wolf), 1 published by Renée Vivien in 1904. Renée Vivien was the pseudonym of a young Englishwoman, Pauline Tarn (1877-1909), who was partly educated in France and lived permanently in Paris from 1889. She wrote in French numerous collections of poems and a collection of novels, La dame à la louve. The stories of this collection are attributed to male and female narrators, from different cultures, depicted as having lived in different times, mostly in the modern age, some of them in the distant past. Vivien often set her fictions in ancient Greece. Bona Dea is the only one set in Rome. Bona Dea is a Roman goddess worshipped only by women. Little is known about her cult, one of the oldest in Rome. The goddess is not often referred to by ancient poets, but some particularities of her cult are reported by Servius, Macrobius and Plutarch. When I started working on the Bona Dea of Vivien, I assumed that Vivien had read a contemporary literary text on the Roman goddess, and I was looking for a poet or a novelist in her literary milieu or among the writers belonging to the so-called decadent movement. In vain. Actually, Vivien's main source appears to have been a scholarly book, the Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, published by the eminent English classicist and lexicographer William Smith, in 1849. Later, trying to clarify the origin of the proper names present in the novel, I came to the conclusion that Vivien had probably used other contemporary scholarly sources. On balance, it is not so surprising that she was interested in classical antiquity -not as a dilettante, but in a more serious way -and that she was familiar with some recent publications, including those of classical philologists. Her friend Pierre Louÿs enjoyed competing with some of them when he wrote his Songs of Bilitis (1894) and claimed that his book was a translation from ancient Greek. We know that Vivien herself learned Greek 'to read Homer in the [Greek] text' as she said, in 1898, with a private teacher, Gaetan Baron, who trained her rigorously, using the most-up-date methods and the best reference books (Fabre-Serris 2016: 93-5). In 1903, Vivien published Sapho, traduction nouvelle avec le texte grec (Sapho, a new translation with the Greek text), from the edition of Henry Thornton Wharton, that her lover, Natalie Barney, had procured for her. Printed in 1885 in London, this English edition was based on the German edition of Theodor Bergk (Leipzig, 1880). In 1904, as the same time as La Dame à la louve, Vivien also published a translation of

García-Fernández, Miguel (2025): "Afectos y desafectos femeninos en la práctica testamentaria medieval gallega", en Lorena C. Barco Cebrián (coord.), Mujer, escritura, sentimientos y tecnología del medievo a la contemporaneidad en España. Madrid: Dykinson, pp. 19-35