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Eva C. Keuls

The Reign of the Phallus: Sexual Politics in Ancient Athens Paperback – April 27, 1993

by Eva C. Keuls (Author)

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At once daring and authoritative, this book offers a profusely illustrated history of sexual politics in ancient Athens.

The phallus was pictured everywhere in ancient Athens: painted on vases, sculpted in marble, held aloft in gigantic form in public processions, and shown in stage comedies. This obsession with the phallus dominated almost every aspect of public life, influencing law, myth, and customs, affecting family life, the status of women, even foreign policy.

This is the first book to draw together all the elements that made up the "reign of the phallus"―men's blatant claim to general dominance, the myths of rape and conquest of women, and the reduction of sex to a game of dominance and submission, both of women by men and of men by men.

In her elegant and lucid text Eva Keuls not only examines the ideology and practices that underlay the reign of the phallus, but also uncovers an intense counter-movement―the earliest expressions of feminism and antimilitarism.

Complementing the text are 345 reproductions of Athenian vase paintings. Some have been reproduced in a larger format and gathered in an appendix for easy reference and closer study. These revealing illustrations are a vivid demonstration that classical Athens was more sexually polarized and repressive of women than any other culture in Western history.

Print length

477 pages
Language

English
Publisher

University of California Press
Publication date

April 27, 1993
Dimensions

6 x 1.1 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

9780520079298
ISBN-13

978-0520079298
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Alain Daniélou
29
Paperback
21 offers from $4.65

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book is well written and intended for a wide audience; both the professional scholar and the general reader will find it provocative and diverting."--Sarah B. Pomeroy, "Classical World

About the Author

Eva C. Keuls is Classics Professor at the University of Minnesota, the author of many scholarly articles, and a recognized authority on both Greek literature and vase painting. She is a fellow of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0520079299
Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of California Press; First edition (April 27, 1993)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 477 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780520079298
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0520079298
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.1 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,666,705 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,856 in Ancient Greek History (Books)
- #2,798 in Psychology & Counseling Books on Sexuality
- #10,059 in Art History (Books)

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AMX

Subjective "feminism"..?

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 24, 2011

Verified Purchase

I found this book quite interesting, not only because of it's informative content but also because of it's 20th/21st century "feminist" undertones and subjective interpretations. Words such as "denigrate", "sequester", "gynophobia", etc. could only be the unfair outcome of applying paradigms from our modern social times in the West to a Great civilisation of thousands of years ago. Here are some brief thoughts and considerations. How long has it taken the Christian church to accept women as priests? A subject which continues to be controversial to this day. In ancient Greece it was women "Priestesses", that had the ultimate authority or power to administer religious rites. Deities were devided in female and male gods and goddesses. Economy is derived from the Greek word "oikonomia" from "oikonomos" meaning "Manager of a Household". In ancient Greece, women although removed from political affairs and responsibilities, they had great responsibility in running and managing all of their household affairs. In theatrical plays, both comedies and tradegies, women characters were given extremely powerful and poignant roles, (Medea, Lysistrata, Electra, etc.). They weren't allowed to perform on stage, but they weren't in Shakespeare's time either. And finally how long has it taken for the electoral system to allow voting by women in the West (Ref: Suffrage movements in 19th/20th centuries where women frustrated by their social and economic situation...!)? How could someone, make these rather sweeping interpretations and draw hyperbolic conclusions from the study of a set of artistic "erotica" vase paintings and of comedy and tragedy plays, defeats comprehension. I wonder what interpretation would be given to the so called "erotica" photo-pornographic filth and obscene material available in abundance today! However, whatever the case and view one wishes to maintain or adopt, it is clear that the subject of ancient Greece continues to evoke an immense interest and fascination...

9 people found this helpful

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Tai Chi Au Naturel

Ms. Keuls neither pulls nor withdraws her massive load of...

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 8, 2009

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Eva Keuls neither pulls nor withdraws her massive load of...exhaustive resources, for depicting such a blatantly gutsy look at a slice of Greek history.

As a fan of non-fiction, and also an aspiring author (am currently working with an editor with my first manuscript), I originally picked up Ms. Keuls comprehensive work for my own research into art history. I was pleasantly surprised by Ms. Keuls no-holds-barred honesty.

Few scholarly works have ever stimulated my...mind, the way hers has. There were times that I actually had a sweaty forehead and palms, greedily looking forward to what she might expose in each respective chapter.

Although I may not have agreed with all of Ms. Keuls' conclusions---particularly the extent of the beastliness of men, or the lopsided portrayal of the treatment of women of that era---her painstaking research has me wondering whether some of her critics have really read her book to...completion.

Thanks again Ms. Keuls. Regardless of your motives, I am honored by the countless hours you toiled in order to bring readers and researchers such a fabulous work of art.

5 people found this helpful

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Andrew C.

Reign of the Phallus

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 21, 2012

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I read this book for a seminar on Greek vase painting, it was the week of perceptions of women in ancient Athens. The book is well researched, if not well footnoted (similar to Zanker and his images of Augustus book). And like Zanker, she repeats information frequently. However, it is clear to see the attitudes of scholars in the 1980's from the way Keuls writes. Even if some of her theories has been debunked or improved upon, it is clear to see how foundational a work her book is. Keuls organizes the book in a way that is easy to follow and provides lost of picture evidence to support her theories. Definately an important book to read if you want to write about women in ancient Athens, or even in the greater Mediterranean world (it would be interesting to see her methodologies applied to other societies in the area).

5 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 26, 2018

Verified Purchase

Excellent writing and well defended hypothesis. I liked very much the explanation of the mutilation of the Priapi

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Taylor O.

Every good feminist should love it

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 1, 2014

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Sorry, but I found this book offensive. Every good feminist should love it.

4 people found this helpful

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Michael Tsarion

WORTH HAVING FOR LOVERS OF ANCIENT ART

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 11, 2017

A book well worth reading, as long as you've first read the masterly work refuting notions of a per-patriarchal or Matriarchal Age, namely, THE MYTH OF MATRIARCHAL PREHISTORY, by Cynthia Eller.

I highly recommend you do read the book, given that the spurious subject of Matriarchal ages is now being insinuated into school curriculum by liberals, radical feminists, and well-meaning but misinformed teachers.

By all means teach the important role women played in cultures of the past, and by all means detail their suffering at the hands of some men. However, keep things in proportion, and don't teach politically correct fallacies.

I also recommend Steven Goldberg's "The Inevitability of Patriarchy."

3 people found this helpful

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