Women in Antiquity
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News and updates about the course are posted here.
Bookmark this page as your main entry point to the course website. That way, you’ll be sure to see any changes and other information I’ve posted here.
These announcements are also sent out by email to all actively enrolled students on my roster.
- If you are actively enrolled and are not receiving these emails, it may be that your email system is filtering emails from me (in which case, please whitelist me so you do receive them).
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Signing up for your presentations
6 September 2026
Thanks for a great discussion and inauguration on Tuesday! Here’s a reminder about signing up for presentations.Read more…
Current Announcements (3)RSS feed
Important notes on the Images Essay (due October 12)
28 September 2026
Here are a few brief reminders about the Images essay, which is due very soon on Monday, October 12.
Watch the video. Make sure to watch the overview video, since that tells you exactly what I am looking for. It’s on the Images Essay page.
Thesis statement. Make sure you have an introduction with a thesis statement (your argument asserting your position on the question/problem being addressed) and a body that describes and discusses three examples from the sources supporting your thesis statement. For models and explanations on how to do this, see “Writing a Position Paper” (a.k.a. “The Elephant Pamphlet”), which is on the Resources page.
Sources.
- For the museum option, if you can go to a museum in person and view the works directly, that is what I strongly prefer, as this option is about your subjective reactions to experiencing the works you are writing about. Remember to choose two works that have the same subject (two little girls, two warriors, two fertility goddesses) but from different times or places so you can talk about the implications of how the same concept was conveyed differently in different times or places.
- For the film option, you need to write about the agenda of the filmmakers and the agenda of the authors of the primary source and how each is using an ancient culture to impress their own beliefs (the filmmakers’ and the authors’) on the audience. If you’re not sure about the primary sources for the film you chose, make sure to come to me and we’ll discuss.
Requirements for all papers. You must adhere to the requirements for all papers (listed on the Essay Musts page). Not meeting the requirements for all papers will mean a lower grade.
Template. There is an MS Word template already set up with some of the formatting I require on the Resources page. If you use Word, I strongly recommend making use of this template. There is one for Google Docs as well.
Late papers. As per the syllabus, late papers are marked down by ten points per class meeting, up to a cap of thirty points. Avoid this penalty and block out the time you need to prepare, write, and review your essay so that it can be submitted on time.
Brightspace. All essays are uploaded to Brightspace. There’s a link to the assignment upload space on the main page. Your essay needs to be uploaded as a Word (preferred) or PDF file attachment, not pasted in as a text submission. If you use a browser-based word processor, you’ll need to export your paper as a Word document and upload that.
I’m happy to discuss any aspects of your sources or the essay, so please come to me if there’s anything you’re not sure about. I’m looking forward to hearing your interpretations of your chosen depictions of gender in the ancient world!
Quiz #2 grades and markups posted
28 September 2026
The grades and markups for Quiz #2 are posted on the My Grades page on the course website.
I recommend spending a moment to take a look at the Quiz Notes for this quiz, which are live on the Quiz Notes page and on the Print/PDF page, and are also included in the quiz markups.
Welcome to Week 5!
27 September 2026
This week we’re talking about the period after the so-called Greek Dark Age, when from our perspective Hellas can be heard and seen again, with the foundations of Greek culture already laid down in the previous, unseen centuries.
Things to ponder as you explore the materials. This is the time of the polis—the distinctive, kingless Greek city-state; of colonization, with Greek cities sending their people out into the Aegean, the Black Sea, and the Mediterranean; and of the hoplite warrior. Also during this time: the rise of lyric poetry, a sharp contrast to the epic poetry of earlier times; and pan-Hellenism, the curious sense of commonality that grows among all these city-states with defiantly distinct and competitive identities.
Two writers emerge during this period that are characteristic of the shifting Greek culture. One is Hesiod, who speaks from the point of view of the small landed farmer—unlike Homer, whose perspective was from the top of society down. What does Hesiod have to tell us about what it meant to be Greek, and is it different from the key values present in Homer’s work? His issues with women we’ve already discussed in terms of his complex depiction of Pandora and his admiration of Hekate above other divinities, but here we see a discussion of women in terms of the priorities of a landed farmer. Is Hesiod’s attitude simple misogyny, or can we go deeper? How does his discussion of gender fit in with his broader arguments about what it means to be a good Greek citizen?
The other author is Sappho, the most famous of the lyric poets. What does her poetry tell us about how Hellas is changing from the days of epic poetry told by rhapsodes? How does it fit with the rest of what Greek literature talks about? What is her poetry about, to you? What do you think we can take away from the fact that this towering figure of Greek literature is a woman?
Looking forward to discussing all of this with you. See you Tuesday!
Archive
History Club and Phi Alpha Theta
21 September 2026
The Lehman College History Club is looking for students to fill its leadership positions! Interested in joining or becoming President, Vice President, Secretary, or Treasurer? Please contact Professor Holtzman at benjamin.holtzman@lehman.cuny.edu.
The Club is open to ALL, not just History majors. In the past, the Club has organized movie nights, study sessions, trivia nights, field trips, etc. The Club has also tabled at various student events, which has helped draw students to the Club and to our classes.
The purpose of the History Club is to discuss topics about history, make friends who are interested in history, and create an environment where people can discuss history and their interest in history, and give advice to those who are unsure of what they want to pursue in history and related fields.
Lehman College also hosts the Pi Upsilon chapter (established in 1970) of Phi Alpha Theta, the National History Honors Society. After several years of inactivity, the chapter has experienced a resurgence in recent years, inducting two dozen new members. Phi Alpha Theta members are among our most accomplished students. The national Phi Alpha Theta Society was formed in 1921 and boasts over 900 chapters with more than 350,000 members. It sponsors regional meetings, scholarships and prizes, and the student journal Historian.
To be eligible, students must maintain at least a 3.1 GPA in four or more History courses and a 3.0 overall GPA (non-History majors are eligible to join). If you meet these standards and are interested in joining Lehman’s chapter, please contact Prof. Rhiannon Dowling (rhiannon.dowling@lehman.cuny.edu) or Prof. Benjamin Holtzman (benjamin.holtzman@lehman.cuny.edu).
Welcome to Week 4!
20 September 2026
This week we’re talking more about Homer, whose works are the portal to understanding how the Greeks thought about everything, including gender, since Homer’s works became the baseline for all Greek culture and all study of the Greeks. We’re reading Pomeroy’s analysis of how the women of the Trojan epic were presenting in Homer and perceived by the Greeks, but we’re also reading a few short sections of Homer himself to get a feel for how he talked about the male and female figures who shaped the outcome of the Trojan War in his epic.
Things to ponder as you explore the materials. Women are important to Homer—even the war itself is made to be about a woman in Homer. How does Helen come across in these stories? Why do you think she was depicted as the impetus for the war? Do you see the women on the Trojan side (like Andromache, Hektor’s wife, and Kassandra) as being presented differently from the Greek women (like Klytaemnestra)? In the excerpts, how do you see Briseis, Nausicaa, and Penelope? What do you think Homer wanted to say about the mutual responsibilities of men and women in Greek society?
Looking forward to discussing all of this with you. See you Tuesday!
Quiz #1 grades and markups posted
20 September 2026
The grades and markups for Quiz #1 are posted on the My Grades page on the course website.
To access your grades, go to the course website and navigate to the My Grades page. Choose your name from the dropdown and enter your password for the My Grades page.
This is a special password just for this page. If you have had me before, it's the same password. If you haven't or don't remember, click on "Email me my password" and you'll receive an automated email sent to the address I have for you in the roster. If you do not receive the email, contact me and I'll send the password to you manually.
Scoring: Each quiz is scored out of 5. Normally on the My Grades page you’ll see the current quiz average, including the lowest quiz being dropped, but I won’t start showing that until we’ve had a couple more quizzes. That’s why right now it says there are too few grades to show an average in the Quizzes line on the My Grades pages. Later, you’ll see the average quiz grade there.
If your quiz grade isn’t what you’d like it to be, don’t panic! It’s still very early and there are lots of opportunities to improve the quiz grade, as well as getting other kinds of grades to balance things out. Quiz averages tend to improve over the semester as the quiz process and the material become more familiar. The key step is to come into class on time and prepared, and to ask questions—as you study, by email, in office hours, and in class.
Quiz notes: I recommend spending a moment to take a look at the Quiz Notes for this quiz, which are live on the Quiz Notes page and on the Print/PDF page, and are also included in the quiz markups. The quiz notes are not meant to be the “right answers” so much as information relevant to the choices you might make in response to these questions.
Welcome to Week 3!
12 September 2026
This week we’ve got a big topic: How gender plays out among the stories of gods and goddesses in the ancient world.
Things to ponder as you explore the materials. Here we zoom in on a key theme in this course, and in Pomeroy’s text: how goddesses are portrayed, as it contrasts to human behavior and also in contrast to the male gods. What stands out to you as the most defining characteristics of goddesses in mythology? What goddesses stand out the most to you, and what about them stands out? Remember, we’re trying to view these ideas from the perspective of people of the time. How did the peoples of these societies see a goddess as being different from a god?
Certain goddesses really stand out. Why is Athena so special and unlike anyone else in the pantheon? Pomeroy talks about an array of Greek goddesses, and many of them seem to be very potent and distinctive in terms of personality and behavior. Why do you think these goddesses were described that way? Who stands out to you as intriguing, or unfairly overlooked?
Also, I want to talk about specific male/female pairings. How do the myths contrast Zeus and Hera? Or, going even further back, Cronos and Rhea?
And: the earth is associated with female divinities (Gaia, Demeter, Kore). Is that just an analog with the production of life, or is there more to it than that?
In this context we’re looking at an early Greek author, Hesiod, and his very personal and very influential take on the story of the gods. How does Hesiod see the gods? What goddesses in particular stand out for him, and why?
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and insights. See you Tuesday!
Weekly responses start this week
6 September 2026
Each week, in addition to our in-class lecture and discussions, we’ll be having an online discussion in which everyone responds to a reading or some other prompt that relates to the week’s topics. The responses start this week with the Week 1 response, which is sort of an open introduction to thinking about history.
The weekly responses are a part of your grade, so making a substantive post every week will be part of the routine for this course. (I used to ask these kinds of questions about the readings on the quizzes in class, but I opted for shorter quizzes and shifted this discussion to the online responses.)
Responses are due by the Sunday after the class meetings for that week. For example, this week’s responses are due Sunday, September 6. Of course you can make your responses anytime during the week, and I’ll always particularly appreciate responses posted before the class meeting in case there are ideas or questions I want to bring up in class.
To post your response, go to the course website (follow the links sent previously, or find markbwilson dot com and click on Courses), then click on Responses on the side menu or site map. There’s a link there to the Week 1 thread on Brightspace. You can also go directly to Brightspace and click on the Discussion section. Click on “Week 1 Responses”; read the prompt; and then click on “Reply to Thread.”
Make sure your response is substantial—a paragraph or two of your personal thoughts, ideas, and reasoning. Please try to write in complete sentences so your thoughts are clearer to others. Remember, the environment here is academic, not social media; think of this page as being like a group discussion in class about a subject we’re all trying to explore and give our ideas and perspectives on. Try to add to the discussion with new ideas or a new take on what’s been brought up so far by other students.
Any questions or issues, email me and let me know!
Welcome to Week 2!
6 September 2026
This week we’re talking about one of the oldest civilizations of the ancient world, the harsh lands of Sumer, and their most famous bequest to later generations, The Epic of Gilgamesh. We’re reading a few chunks from it, and although the protagonists of this story are two very manly men, in these passages we get three very vividly drawn women: Shamhat the prostitute, Ishtar the bratty goddess, and Ninsun, Gilgamesh’s mother archetype.
Things to ponder as you explore the materials. As we talk about this, I’m interested in hearing what stands out to you about these passages. How does the people’s anger at Gilgamesh relate to gender? Why is Shamhat written as being so critical to the story of Enkidu? And why do you think it’s important she’s a prostitute rather than another kind of woman in society? What role does Ninsun play in Gilgamesh’s story? What is Ishtar all about? Given what we see of other women in the Epic, do you think she’s being painted by her actions as a woman, or as a god? And on the testosterone side, what do you think the dudebro attitudes and goals of Gilgamesh and Enkidu tell us about how the author saw the differences between men and women within a community?
We had a great discussion last time, and this time we have some really meaty (or juicy, if you want vegetarian metaphors) stuff to discuss. When we get together this week, I especially want us to talk a lot about Gilgamesh and what it tells us. Also, I want to hear your reactions to the article you read. The discussion on this is important, since only some of us will have read the one you chose. What was the author trying to convince you of? What did you think of his or her arguments, and the evidence used to support it? What insight does this give us into how the Sumerians thought about gender?
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and reactions. See you Tuesday!