Sarah B Pomeroy’s “Pythagorean” women’s history work aims to be a comprehensive look at Pythagorean or Neopythagorean ladies, their writings, issues and social histories. Pomeroy’s study fills in some gaps that have existed previously (by other historians), and it is the only comprehensive work on the social history Pythagorean females. Her commentaries are special because she chooses not to focus on Athenian Greeks, but rather the Pythagorean women.
The book is designed as a resource to help readers learn Pythagorean histories, even those who aren’t well versed. The book’s organization is designed to be easy-to-understand for readers who want to learn more about the topic. Pomeroy’s book begins with a chapter that explains the origins of some of the most famous Pythagorean ladies in history. She goes on to discuss the Pythagorean philosophy, rules and expectations for women in Pythagorean culture as mothers, daughters, sisters and wives. She then outlines the history and prose writings by Neopythagorean Women, explains differences between the East and West in terms of letters, treatises, etc. Pomeroy’s colleague Vicki Lynn Harrer wrote a chapter about Neopythagorean woman philosophers.
Pomeroy, in her introduction, makes a distinction between Pythagorean and Neopythagorean woman in order for us to understand Pythagorean history. The women who were labeled as “Pythagorean Women” lived during the late Archaic to Classical period. They included Pythagoras’ students, his wives and daughters. Neopythagorean is the name given to women who, intellectually and physically, followed Pythagorean.
Pomeroy explains in her writings about Pythagoreans that it is known that Pythagoras was married to Theano of Croton, the first woman philosopher recorded in Greek history. Pythias, Pythagoras mother, also wrote on tablets. Theano Croton is his wife. She was the very first woman to be recorded as a Greek philosopher. Pythias Pythagoras mother was well known for writing on tablets the story of Pythagoras’s apparent resurrection. Pythagoras comes from a female-educated family, and the writings of Pythias’ wife and mother show this.
Pomeroy believes that Pythagoras’ philosophy had an almost equal standard of conduct for men as well as women. Pythagoras treated women with dignity and respect, despite the fact that women didn’t have equal rights in Greek culture. Pomeroy says that Pythagoras actually listened when women came to him and asked for his advice to help their husbands rid themselves of concubines. Pythagoras, who was very concerned about the family unit and ensuring that everyone lived in harmony with their families, had this view. He taught that men and women should have the sophrosyne characteristic (self-control, discipline, and orderliness). Men and woman were both to be single, and only conjugal relationships were considered pure. Pomeroy goes into more detail about this philosophy and explains why only conjugal relations are considered pure. It is because the sexual relationship was strictly encouraged by those who wished to have children. She assumes, too, that homosexual and post-menopausal relationships are not pure because neither can give birth to children. Pomeroy has made some very good points here. She fills in many of the gaps in Pythagorean philosophy that have been passed down through history.
Pomeroy then shifts the focus of her book from the Pythagorean foundations to the Neopythagorean writings and philosophy of women. This is the point where the distinction between Pythagorean vs Neopythagorean philosophy becomes important.
The philosophy of Pythagoreanism did not die after the destruction of its original society at the beginning of the 5th Century BC. Middle Comedy portrayed Pythagoreans of this period as being poor and dirty. Neopythagorean letter written by women from the period seem to counter this old narrative. These letters contain personal details of women’s lives that point out their relative economic comfort in the time period. For example, they include information about slaves and husbands who spent a lot of money on their wives outside of marriage. Pomeroy doesn’t see these two perspectives as inconsistencies. She assumes they were considered poor because the Neopythagoreans ate strictly (most vegetarians), wore plain clothing and wore no gold jewelry. I believe that the historian’s opinion in this case is effective, and that there are enough facts to support her conclusion. She does not leap to conclusions, but rather uses the Pythagorean lifestyle as a guideline and makes both narratives seem legitimate.
Pomeroy, in her commentary on Neopythagorean writings by women, addresses a hot topic among her colleagues – whether the texts credited to them were written by women or men. Pomeroy is able to dispel the misogynistic view that women could not possibly have written the texts. She achieves this by two means. She writes, “There are a multitude of archeological findings that show that women were regularly writing and reading during the Hellenistic Period.” Not only were women writing texts, but they also created artwork that was sold to the public. The artwork featured a number illustrations showing women participating in music art, reading and writing. This shows that women’s literacy was becoming more common in the middle-class. Second, she claims that, if women were not discouraged from reading or writing, nobody would have published works with female aliases.
Pomeroy says that overall, Pythagorean- and Neopythagorean-women’s writings were faithful in their philosophies. The women wrote about a variety of topics, including sexual attraction, parenting, a harmonious life in the modern world, and modesty. Women in Hellenistic societies found it beneficial to belong to a Pythagorean-based family. Pythagorean society was known for its strict regimens and rules, but women were still respected. Neopythagorean females were particularly favored, as they had the freedom to divorce their spouses (a practice that was rare, but permitted), purchase large amounts of goods on their terms, and create formal contracts.
Sarah B. Pomeroy does a fantastic job of writing about Pythagorean females. She is very successful in tying up loose ends, particularly as they relate to women. Her book achieves her goal. She is not biased and does not shy away when addressing opposing views. Her audience will appreciate her clear writing. She covers all the bases in her book, and leaves no stone unturned.
