The Philosophic Notion of Women in Antiquity

Abstract

Aristotle said that the association between male and female was the most natural form of association and he treated it as the first of the elementary units of society. Like many of Aristotle’s confident assertions this one looks unimportant, though true; but it deserves some attention. The association between male and female might seem to have a timeless reference. We might think that we know exactly what we mean by the words, and that Aristotle could have thought no differently. In fact there are many possible relationships between males and females and the ancient world was well aware of it.