The Evolution of Women at Symposia: Re-evaluating Identity, Participation, and Agency in Sympotic Athenian Red-Figure Vase Paintings
Year: 2026
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Traditionally defined as elite, all-male drinking parties, ancient Greek symposia were believed to be strictly off limits to the average Greek woman. Most classical scholars agree that the only women permitted to attend were entertainers, including musicians and dancers, servers, and prostitutes known as hetairai. Despite the range of women portrayed on sympotic imagery, however, most contemporary scholarship focuses on depictions of hetairai. Through exploring the diversity of female attendees depicted on Attic red-figure vases, this project broadens the study of women at symposia, bringing additional nuance to the current understanding of female participation. As women at symposia are regularly described in terms of their sexual availability and are often assumed to play a primarily sexual role, this study also explores alternative roles beyond sexual participation, re-evaluating narratives that oversimply and oversexualize ancient women. By comparatively analyzing a selection of Athenian red-figure sympotic images from the late Archaic to Classical period (550-323 BCE), this study re-examines the identities of women at symposia, investigating how they evolved over time. Imagery was primarily collected from the online Beazley Archives and includes depictions of female banqueters, dancers, servers and musicians. Grounding my research in gender, dress, and queer theory, my analysis focuses on demonstrating distinct patterns and differences in pose, gestures, nudity, dress, hair, and adornment. This study also employs socio-cultural and behavioural approaches regarding non-verbal communication. Through investigating patterns, trends, and changes in visual imagery, this work explores themes beyond sexual availability, such as participation and integration in sympotic scenes, gender constructions, differing levels of status, agency, and social relationships among women at symposia. Ultimately, this study demonstrates the active participation of women at symposia, as well as the diversity of theAir representations in sympotic scenes. This diversity, I argue, reflects the dynamic and fluid identities of women at symposia, who clearly occupied differing levels of status, agency, and bodily control. Finally, this study highlights the transformation of imagery between the early Classical period (~480-450 BCE) and the High Classical period (post 450 BCE), coinciding with major societal changes in Athens, transformations in sympotic gatherings, and shifting perceptions of gender and women.
Author: Poole, Madison
Institution: Brock University
Language: English
Topic: Classical Antiquity Studies
Subfield: Classics
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Gender equality
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7213381446