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BOOK REVIEW
The women’s Olympics are one of the best kept secrets of ancient Greek history! Dozens or maybe even hundreds of books have been published about the male games, but this is the only one examining the female ones. Harita Meenee, a classical studies expert specializing in women’s studies, sheds abundant light on the young women’s games which took place every four years in Olympia. They were called Heraia, as they were held in honor of Hera, and they may have been older than the male ones. The author emphasizes the female cults which existed in this area from age-old times honoring the Great Mother Gaia and other goddesses. She also expands on the theory of professor F. M. Cornford, who suggested that the purpose of the two games was to select the young man and woman who would incarnate Zeus and Hera, or the Sun God and the Moon Goddess, in the ritual of the Sacred Marriage. Her research draws upon ancient texts and archeological finds, as well as on the rich material provided by mythology, religion, symbols and language. Additionally, she utilizes the power of fiction in order to initiate the reader into the spirit of Olympia, starting the book with a fascinating love story. One of the most interesting discoveries the reader will make in this book is the female presence in the male Olympics. The author proves that, contrary to prevalent ideas, unmarried women were allowed to attend the games; the priestess of Demeter even had an honorary seat in the Stadium. The book also pulls out of oblivion the women who were crowned as Olympic winners in chariot-races. Furthermore, it spotlights the long duration and popularity of female sports, which took place in Minoan Crete, Sparta, Delphi, on the island of Chios, in Attica etc. This book will be very helpful to all who want to see, under a radically different light, the ancient games and the role of women in classical Greece.
Maria Pendaraki, M.S.W., Ph.D. women’s studies specialist, assistant professor of the Social Work Department, Technological Institute of Higher Education of Patras, Greece
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Preface
CHAPTER 1A Fictional Journey into the Past
CHAPTER 2 Olympia: Τhe Holy Place of Women
From Mother Goddess to Father God 1. The Earth and the Snake 2. Hera, the “Queen of All”
Heraea: the Women’s Olympics 1. Hippodameia, the Founder of the Female Games 2. The Half-Naked Runners 3. The Sacred Tree 4. Were the Heraea Older than the Male Games?
Rhea, the Mother of Gods
The Sacred Marriage 1. Fertility Rites and Demeter Chamyne 2. The Union of the Moon and the Sun 3. The Divine Cow and the Sacred Bull 4. The Horse Goddess
Women as Winners of Horse Races
Did Women Attend the Male Olympics?
The End
CHAPTER 3 A Different Look at Women’s Sports 1. On the Bull’s Back 2. Artemis, the Arctoi and Atalanta 3. The Naked Athletes of Sparta 4. A Pan-Hellenic Phenomenon 5. The Gift of the Goddess Notes
References
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