The (Imperfect) Feminism of Ancient Greek Myth
It’s something.
Patriarchal societies often rationalize their misogynistic tendencies through their sacred texts, perhaps most notably the Hebrew and Holy Bibles, and Quran. But how might one make sense of the patriarchal world of the Greeks in light of their mythology?
The amount of agency and power awarded to women in Greek myth is disputed. In support of a misogynistic outlook, the women of Greek mythology are often depicted with a host of negative emotions: anger, jealousy, promiscuity, and even male subversion.
To claim that these negative personified forces (known as gods) are exclusively female, though, would also be a mistake. Male deities in Greek myth are largely colored with the vocabulary of “rape,” “murder,” and “possession.” It is indeed odd that the patriarchal society of Ancient Greece would value the exhibition of both the feminine and masculine in such similar quantities.
Compare this to the Hebrew Torah, which includes only 5.5–8% of its characters as named females. The following article will argue for the progressive nature of Greek myth in terms of female empowerment. This will be illustrated through select themes found in primary sources including familial structure, lust, gender, and abstinence.
