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The Greek Epigraphic Evidence for Healer Women

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The Greek Epigraphic Evidence for Healer Women THE GREEK EPIGRAPHIC EVIDENCE FOR HEALER WOMEN IN THE GREEK WORLD Jennifer C. Irving Bachelor of Ancient History (Honours, 1st Class) Department of Ancient History, Macquarie University Thesis submitted to Macquarie University for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Supervisors: Dr. Ian Plant, Associate Prof. Paul McKechnie 10th October 2015 1 Declaration This work has not been submitted for a higher degree to any other university or institution. This thesis conforms to the length of a doctoral thesis and is no longer than 100,000 words. ___________________________________ Jennifer C. Irving Abstract The ancient healer woman is not a well-documented phenomenon. She is seen as a silent figure who challenged the boundaries of society, based on the assumption that women were seen negatively in skilled occupations. This thesis challenges such assumptions, then demonstrates how healer women were valued in their communities and in a comprehensive catalogue of epigraphic evidence. Individual case studies create a more nuanced understanding of the Greek healer woman. The thesis explores the healer woman in her own context and in doing so, answers questions concerning her education, status, and reputation. The evidence set forth in this thesis has shown that not all healer women were challenging the boundaries of their societies, but rather that they could be respected as professional and skilled authorities. The arguments of this thesis are supported by discussion of associated Greek terms, and show that literary evidence was not always a direct reflection of reality. This thesis also leads the way for future research on Roman evidence from later periods, and gives recognition of a public acknowledgement of the contribution of healer women. 2 “The art of medicine consists in amusing the patient while nature cures the disease.” Voltaire 3 Contents Images, Tables and Graphs ............................................................................................................................... 7 Catalogue Numbers ......................................................................................................................................... 8 Preface ................................................................................................................................................................. 10 Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................................................... 12 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................ 14 Methodology .................................................................................................................................................. 15 Context ............................................................................................................................................................ 17 Interpreting the Evidence ............................................................................................................................. 19 Terminology ................................................................................................................................................... 21 Scholarship ...................................................................................................................................................... 24 The Value of Feminist Scholarship .............................................................................................................. 24 Misconceptions in the Modern and Ancient Scholarship ......................................................................... 29 Benefits of Modern Scholarship ................................................................................................................... 31 The Analysis Begins ....................................................................................................................................... 40 Chapter 1: Evidence for Greek and Greek Influenced Healer Women in the Epigraphic, Papyrological and Archaeological Record .................................................................................................... 41 1.1: Principles of Selection ............................................................................................................................. 42 1.2: Criteria for Inclusion............................................................................................................................... 42 1.3: The Greek Physician Woman ................................................................................................................ 44 1.4: Midwives .................................................................................................................................................. 58 1.5: Midwife Physicians ................................................................................................................................. 69 1.6: Women with Healing Associations ...................................................................................................... 76 1.7: Associated Terms .................................................................................................................................... 85 Chapter 2: Acquiring Knowledge: The Education of Greek Healer Women ......................................... 91 2.1: Terminology............................................................................................................................................. 91 2.2: Apprenticeships outside the Family Sphere ....................................................................................... 97 2.3: Training within the Family .................................................................................................................. 100 2.4: Occupations in which Female Training was Acceptable ................................................................. 111 4 2.5: Theoretical and Practical Occupational Training: Case Studies ...................................................... 118 2.5.1: The Restituta Inscription: .............................................................................................................. 118 2.5.2: Hagnodice ....................................................................................................................................... 124 2.6: Women as Teachers ............................................................................................................................... 127 2.7: Conclusions ............................................................................................................................................ 135 Chapter 3: Portraying Knowledge................................................................................................................. 136 3.1: Transmission of Knowledge in the Ancient Literature .................................................................... 136 3.2: Medical Treatises Written by Ancient Greek Women ...................................................................... 137 3.2.1: Artemisia ......................................................................................................................................... 137 3.2.2: Aspasia............................................................................................................................................. 138 3.2.3: Cleopatra the Physician ................................................................................................................. 140 3.2.4: Male Comparisons ......................................................................................................................... 143 3.2.5: Greek Magical Papyri .................................................................................................................... 145 3.3: Advancement of Reputation ................................................................................................................ 146 3.4: Choosing Women Practitioners ........................................................................................................... 159 3.4.1: Financial Considerations ............................................................................................................... 160 3.5: The Reception of Healer Women as First Points of Call .................................................................. 168 Chapter 4: Attitudes towards Healer Women in Ancient Greece and Rome ........................................ 171 4.1: The Φαρμακίς ........................................................................................................................................ 171 4.1.1: The Archaic Φαρμακίς as a Wise Woman in Herbs and Magico-Medicine .......................... 172 4.1.2: The Classical Φαρμακίς as a Foreign Sorceress ......................................................................... 173 4.1.3: The Classical Woman of Ill-Repute .............................................................................................. 177 4.1.4: The Hellenistic Φαρμακίς in Egypt and Greece ........................................................................ 179 4.1.5: Contrasting Meanings in the Roman Periods ............................................................................. 181 4.1.6: Influence from Early Christian Thought ....................................................................................
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