History of Women in the West - 3: Renaissance and the Enlightenment Paradoxes

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In the words of the general editors, this series seeks to understand women's roles, conditions, and representations throughout history. Drawing on the expertise of seventy-five distinguished historians, it presents a panoramic chronicle from antiquity to the present. The inaugural volume shifts the focus from the margins of ancient history to the forefront, offering fresh insights into over twenty centuries of Greek and Roman history. The authors analyze a vast landscape, from the North Sea to the Mediterranean, revealing that ancient perceptions often relegated women to silent roles in motherhood and homemaking, largely ignored by historical records. In Rome, for instance, only heiresses were counted in the census. This scarcity of information about women contrasts sharply with the abundance of texts and images created by men regarding women and gender. The authors utilize diverse sources—gravestones, floor plans, stele inscriptions, papyrus rolls, vase paintings, and literary works—to illustrate the evolution of women's representations. They delve into the minds of men, from the Greeks envisioning goddesses to Church Fathers crafting the image of martyred female saints, uncovering an imaginative history of women and the dynamics between the sexes. Through this exploration, the authors highlight select aspects of women's experiences and the cultural narratives that shaped their identities.