Sarah Pomeroy’s Depiction of Pythagorean Women’s Lives

Introduction

The work of Sarah B. Pomeroy, “Pythagorean Women,” aims to provide a comprehensive study on Pythagorean and Neopythagorean women, including their issues, social history, and their writings. Although it is true that there are previous writings by other historians detailing information about famous Pythagorean women in relation to Pythagoras himself, Pomeroy’s work serves as a gap-filler and the first comprehensive study on the topic of the social history of Pythagorean women. Her commentaries are unique due to the emphasis she places on the lives of women in Pythagorean society, which is often overlooked in historical literature compared to the Athenian Greeks.

Depiction of The Life of Pythagorean Women in Sarah Pomeroy’s Work

The book is meant to be an accessible learning resource for a general public audience, including readers who may not be well-versed in Pythagorean history. The book is organized in a practical manner for those who wish to learn about this topic for the first time. Pomeroy begins her book with a brief chapter on the most well-known Pythagorean women in history and their origins. She then delves into the subject of the rules, expectations, and Pythagorean philosophies pertaining to women as wives, mothers, sisters, and daughters in Pythagorean society. Next, she outlines the history of Neopythagorean women, introduces the prose writings of these women, and explains the differences in the letters and treatises of Neopythagorean women in the East versus the West. Lastly, Pomeroy includes a chapter on Neopythagorean women as philosophers, written by her historian colleague, Vicki Lynn Harper.

Understanding Pythagorean and Neopythagorean Women

As Pomeroy outlines in her introduction, understanding the history of Pythagorean women requires a distinction between Pythagorean and Neopythagorean women. Those labeled “Pythagorean women” were contemporaries of the philosopher Pythagoras, including his students, wives, and daughters—these women lived in the late Archaic and Classical periods. Those labeled “Neopythagorean women” followed the Pythagorean women before them, both biologically and intellectually—these were mostly Hellenistic women.

In Pomeroy’s writings about the origins of Pythagoreans, she carefully notes historical evidence that the two most prominent women in Pythagoras’ life, his mother and his wife, were both literate. Theano of Croton, his wife, was the first recorded woman philosopher in Greek history, and Pythagoras’ mother, Pythias, was known for writing notes on tablets about Pythagoras’ apparent resurrection from the Underworld. These writings suggest that Pythagoras came from a family of educated women, which may explain why he had more reverence for women in his philosophical teachings than his Greek contemporaries.

Pythagorean Philosophy on Gender Roles

According to Pomeroy, Pythagoras’ philosophy placed a relatively even standard on men and women. While women were not afforded the same rights in general Greek society, Pythagoras did not treat them as aliens or lowly animals in his teachings. In fact, Pomeroy points out that when women asked Pythagoras to instruct their husbands to get rid of their concubines, he listened and included this in his teachings. This was due to Pythagoras’ high regard for the nuclear family dynamic and ensuring harmony within families. He taught that both men and women were expected to possess the characteristic of sophrosyne (discipline, self-control, and orderliness). Both genders were to be monogamous, and the only type of sexual acts considered pure were conjugal relations. Pomeroy further delves into the intricacies of this teaching, explaining that sexual relations were encouraged strictly for those wanting legitimate children together. She assumes that homosexual relations and post-menopausal relations were not considered pure, as neither could bear children. I agree with Pomeroy’s conclusions here, as she remarkably fills in the gaps of what is left unsaid in the Pythagorean philosophies passed on throughout history.

Neopythagorean Women’s Writings and Philosophies

After explaining the foundations of Pythagorean philosophy, particularly regarding women’s roles in marriage and family, Pomeroy shifts her book to discuss Neopythagorean women’s writings and philosophies. It is at this point that the distinction between the generations of Pythagorean and Neopythagorean women becomes more significant.

Following the demise of the original Pythagorean society, due to their areas being conquered and dispersed at the end of the fifth century BC, the philosophy did not die. Middle Comedy represented Pythagoreans at this time as poor and scruffy. However, Neopythagorean letters written by women seem to oppose that narrative. These letters include personal details about women’s daily lives, pointing to their economic ease—such as information about their slaves, their husbands spending money on women outside of marriage, and discussions about hiring a wet nurse. Pomeroy does not see these opposing perspectives as inconsistent. She assumes that the Neopythagoreans may have been perceived as poor because they had strict diets (most were vegetarian), wore simple clothing, and avoided gold jewelry or cosmetics. Her historian opinion on this matter serves as an effective conclusion, as she provides sufficient evidence to support it. She does not take a leap of faith but draws on the rules of the Pythagorean lifestyle, allowing both narratives to appear legitimate.

Authorship of Neopythagorean Women’s Writings

In her commentary on Neopythagorean women’s writings, Pomeroy addresses a popular debate among historians—whether women were actually the authors of the texts credited to them. Pomeroy successfully unravels the misogynistic assumption that the texts were written by men and not women. She does this in two ways. First, she cites a plethora of archaeological evidence indicating that women regularly wrote and read during the Hellenistic period. This is shown not only through the texts women wrote but also through the artwork sold to the public at the time. This artwork included illustrations of women reading, writing, and participating in musical activities, showing the normalization of women’s literacy in the middle class. Secondly, she argues that if the first argument did not exist, and women were discouraged from reading and writing, no one would choose to publish works with a female alias.

Conclusion

Overall, as Pomeroy points out, the writings of the Pythagorean and Neopythagorean women were faithful to Pythagoras’ philosophies. They wrote on various topics such as sexual attraction in marital relationships, parenting, living a harmonious modern life, and modesty. For a woman living in Hellenistic society, it was beneficial to be part of a family following Pythagorean philosophy. Although Pythagorean people subjected themselves to strict regimens and rules of purity (concerning diets, fashion, manners, sexual lives, and more), this was seen as a non-issue, as women were respected in Pythagorean rules. Regarding Neopythagorean women, this was especially true, as they were allowed to file for divorce, make large purchases independently, and draw up their own formal contracts.

References

3. Pomeroy, S. B. (Year). Pythagorean Women: Their History and Writings. Publisher.

4. Harper, V. L. (Year). Contribution to Pythagorean Women. In S. B. Pomeroy (Ed.), Pythagorean Women: Their History and Writings (pp. pages). Publisher.

5. Author, A. A. (Year). Title of related work. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), pages. doi:DOI

6. Author, B. B. (Year). Title of another related work. Book Title. Publisher.