Finding Persephone: Women's Rituals in the Ancient Mediterranean

by Maryline Parca (Editor), Angeliki Tzanetou (Editor)

Drawing upon the latest research in gender studies, history of religion, feminism, ritual theory, performance, anthropology, archaeology, and art history, Finding Persephone investigates the ways in which the religious lives and ritual practices of women in Greek and Roman antiquity helped shape their social and civic identity. Barred from participating in many public arenas, women asserted their presence by performing rituals at festivals and presiding over rites associated with life passages and healing. The essays in this lively and timely volume reveal the central place of women in the religious and ritual practices of the societies of the ancient Mediterranean. Readers interested in religion, women's studies, and classical antiquity will find a unique exploration of the nature and character of women's autonomy within the religious sphere and a full account of women's agency in the public domain.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Mythology, Religion, Feminism, Ancient

Paperback

First published November 27, 2007

Reviews

[Rose Eleusis]

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEE

I could get used to this writing-an-essay-on-how-ancient-women-worshiped-the-Theoi thing if it means my mom buys me ancient studies books for academic research.

IT'S SO GOOD. Why didn't anyone tell me there was a whole essay collection about women's rituals in the ancient Mediterranean, many of them about Persephone and Demeter?

Seriously. this is mindblowing. I haven't even finished the Thesmophoria essay yet and it's already shaping up to be five stars. Every devotee of The Two- heck, every HELLENIST- needs to read this. It's giving me more ritual insights for the Thesmophoria than I know what to do with.

[Kara Demetropoulos · Rating 5 out of 5]

A diverse collection of scholarly essays concerning the central theme of women's ritual activity in the ancient Mediterranean. I picked this up specifically for information on the Eleusinian Mysteries, but ended up reading the whole thing. I was surprised and delighted at the range of topics covered. To name a few:
- women's work songs as spells / incantations / rituals
- worship of Demeter-Isis in Egypt
- male participation in female-exclusive rituals
- Christian antipathy towards Greek goddesses
- linking women's rituals with scandal in classic literature
- rites of passage for young women

Overall, a great read, but not intended for an audience unfamiliar with Ancient Greece and Rome. If you're not a student of this subject, be prepared to research a lot of concepts. It's a niche read, for sure.