Classic Association Lecture | Attica, Ageism, and Autonomy

Monday 10th February 2026 | 6pm

In association with the Classic Association.

Emily Jayne Knights (Newcastle): Attica, Ageism, and Autonomy: Investigating older Women in Ancient Athens.

"Studies examining older women in the ancient world often place them in two categories: having gained age-dependent freedoms that they were not afforded in their youth, or being ostracised from society and facing limitations as a result of their older age. A holistic study devoted to examining older women and their roles in ancient Athens does not yet exist. Emily Jayne Knights, a PhD student at Newcastle University, investigates the changing views of ageing and gender from late Archaic to early Hellenistic Athens through social, cultural, and biological perspectives. This talk will examine various artefact case-studies and ancient literature, through which women’s experiences of older age in ancient Athens can be better appreciated and understood."

A LIVE Lit & Phil Event | FREE

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