SASA Mini Reading Group: Harem Politics: Princesses with Power in the Ancient Middle East

Previous participation and previous knowledge not required.

The reading group will explore how royal women participated in politics and court intrigue, focusing particularly on the city of Mari in ancient Syria (the wives and daughters of King Zimri-Lim) and the Achaemenid Persian empire. Readings would center on personal letters written to/by royal women as well as excerpts from the works of Greek historians like Herodotus and Ctesias. Topics for discussion include the use and role of women in diplomacy, competition and struggles for power between royal women (including palace conspiracies and murder plots), and what people in foreign lands such as the Greek city-states thought of royal women in the ancient Near East.

3-Week Text-In-Translation Reading Group

Thursdays @ 1:30pm EST

Jan. 13th

Jan. 20th