Faculty Sponsor
Tina Chronopoulos
Abstract
In the ancient Mediterranean men were in charge of every facet of life, including women’s medicine. They forced women out of the oversight of gynecology and reformed it into a method of control that they could assert in order to force women into a position of submission. This paper aims to bring the ways in which ancient medicine was influenced by cultural ideas and worked to subjugate women and allow men to gain further control over their autonomy. This research was inspired by the works of ancient physicians like Hippocrates, Soranus, and Galen, as well as contemporary sources that critique the treatment of Greek and Roman women. This paper serves as a bridge between those ancient ideas and the connections that can be seen from a modern perspective. This study of ancient society and medicine indicates that the masculine takeover of women’s medicine served as a turning point that allowed men to validate previously established cultural ideas to advance the patriarchy. The treatment of women when it came to birth specifically, as well as the societal expectations placed on them regarding this, proves to be a large contributing factor to the idea that women are worth less than men. The points presented here, beyond exhibiting ancient stances, can also point people towards facets of modern society that reflect the strategies employed by ancient physicians.
Citation Style
Chicago
Recommended Citation
Polovich, E. J. (2026). Forced Dependency: The Subjugation of Women Through Medicine in Ancient Greece and Rome. Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal, 11(2). Retrieved from https://orb.binghamton.edu/alpenglowjournal/vol11/iss2/6
Included in
Ancient History, Greek and Roman through Late Antiquity Commons, History of Gender Commons, Obstetrics and Gynecology Commons, Women's History Commons, Women's Studies Commons