{"id":2241,"date":"2026-04-30T21:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T20:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.whs-blogs.co.uk\/linguistica\/?p=2241"},"modified":"2026-05-01T15:11:06","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T14:11:06","slug":"shining-a-light-on-the-shunned-women-in-classical-antiquity-emily-hauser","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.whs-blogs.co.uk\/linguistica\/2026\/04\/30\/shining-a-light-on-the-shunned-women-in-classical-antiquity-emily-hauser\/","title":{"rendered":"Shining a light on the Shunned Women in Classical Antiquity : Emily Hauser"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Lily (Y11) explores how subtle changes in grammar can shift perspective.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whilst there are many trailblazing women in classics whose work could be explored in depth, someone I find particularly inspiring, especially after hearing her talk at school, is Emily Hauser. Having studied Classics at Yale, Harvard (as a Fulbright Scholar) and Cambridge, she takes a specific interest in discovering and acknowledging the role of women in classical antiquity. Several of her books are retellings of well-known epics and myths (e.g. \u2018The Iliad\u2019, Jason and the Argonauts\u2019 journey) in the perspective of the much less mentioned, but still crucially important, female characters, such as Atalanta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In her talk at Wimbledon High, she brought light to the derogatory attitudes towards women that are portrayed by Homer in \u2018The Odyssey\u2019 and \u2018The Iliad\u2019, reflecting the huge gender imbalances at the time, and recognised specific women (such as Briseis) for their contributions to the epics, believing that these epics couldn\u2019t exist without the presence of women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For example, Emily talked about how the first line in both the Iliad and \u2018The Odyssey\u2019 involves the male poet\/narrator (Homer) asking a muse (who would be a woman) to tell a story of a man, and how this was something very much seen in ancient times. The first line of \u2018The Odyssey\u2019 is as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018\u1f04\u03bd\u03b4\u03c1\u03b1 \u03bc\u03bf\u03b9 \u1f14\u03bd\u03bd\u03b5\u03c0\u03b5, \u03bc\u03bf\u1fe6\u03c3\u03b1, \u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03cd\u03c4\u03c1\u03bf\u03c0\u03bf\u03bd, \u1f43\u03c2 \u03bc\u03ac\u03bb\u03b1 \u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03bb\u1f70\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Robert Fagles\u2019 translation being: \u201cSing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns-\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Important to note: Robert Fagles has chosen a stylistic translation, meaning that some words are not translated directly \u2013 e.g. \u2018\u1f43\u03c2\u2019 meaning \u2018who\u2019 has not been directly translated and \u2018\u03bc\u03ac\u03bb\u03b1 \u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03bb\u1f70\u2019 meaning \u2018very many\u2019 has likely been combined with \u2018\u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03cd\u03c4\u03c1\u03bf\u03c0\u03bf\u03bd\u2019 meaning \u2018of many ways\u2019 to form the translation of \u2018of twists and turns\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Emily pointed out, the fact that \u2018\u1f04\u03bd\u03b4\u03c1\u03b1\u2019, meaning \u2018man\u2019, has been promoted by Homer to the start of the sentence, even though it is in the accusative case (meaning it would typically come later), emphasises the instant male focus of this epic, despite the fact that Penelope (Odysseus\u2019 loyal wife) is the main object of Odysseus\u2019 desire to return home and is depicted a fair amount in the epic to face struggles herself in dealing with suitors and maintaining her household. Emily argued that Odysseus\u2019 10-year journey home would not be nearly as important if Penelope did not exist, proving her importance as a female character to the epic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, there are other major female characters involved in the epic, such as Calypso and Circe, who detain Odysseus for seven years and one year respectively, and Athena who appears throughout many of the books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like in the analysis above, in her talk Emily Hauser pointed out the androcentric nature of ‘The Odyssey\u2019 right from the beginning (and the same goes for \u2018The Iliad\u2019), bringing attention to the fundamental importance of the female characters in strengthening the plot line and Odysseus\u2019 motives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fun fact: the word androcentric comes partly from the Ancient Greek word \u1f00\u03bd\u03b4\u03c1\u03cc\u03c2, which is the genitive form of the masculine noun \u1f00\u03bd\u03ae\u03c1 (meaning \u2018man\u2019) and so means \u2018of man\u2019, linking to the definition of androcentric \u2013 focused or centered on men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emily Hauser is currently a Lecturer of Classics, Ancient History, Religion and Theology at the University of Exeter and continues to write fiction and non-fiction books, having recently released a book (April 2025) entitled \u2018Mythica: A New History of Homer\u2019s World, Through the Women Written Out of It\u2019, which was an instant Times bestseller.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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