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The Position Of Women In The Ancient World Have Always

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The position of women in the ancient world have always been portrayed in a bad light. Women were thought to be manipulative, submissive, and weak compared to men. These roles of women have been handed down history. Women bought into this because it was a way for them to gain power. Power in the ancient world was a means for securing a safe life for women and their family. Women would manipulate others in order to gain power for their sons and husbands. The reason for this was because if their male relative was associated with power, they too would have power and security. The portrayal of witches fed into the idea that women were manipulative and only sought to gain power. Witches transgressed traditional ideas of femininity. They were…show more content…
In book 10 of Homer’s Odyssey, he describes Circe as being a fail-locked women who lived on the island of Aaia. When Odysseus and his men arrive on the island, they encounter Circe and her home. Homer describes the house of Circe as “built with polished stones, in a sheltered place. Around it were wolves of the mountain and lions, which Circe herself had enchanted, for she had given them evil drugs”( Ogden 95). The enchanting of the wolves around Circe’s home suggests that she inherited the powers of Hecate. Hecate, too, was associated with animals like wolves and dogs. Circe was also powerful enough to turn Odysseus’ men into pigs. She did this by blending “ baleful drugs into the food, so that they should forget their homeland completely. But when she had given it to them and they had drunk it down, she immediately struck them with her wand and shut them into pigsties”(Ogden 95). Circe, just like Hecate, had the power to bring the dead back to life in order to learn about things. Circe also went by the name pharmakeia, which is the greek word for witchcraft and the act of making drugs. Therefore, it would only make sense that Circe had gained all the powers and qualities of Hecate because she was her daughter. Medea too attributed her magical powers from Hecate. Most of
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