About this Event
We are thrilled to welcome Professor Helen King (The Open University) to give the third and final talk in the Bristol Classical Association’s 2023-2024 speaker series.
About the talk: In the Classical world, women’s bodies were sometimes imagined to be very different from those of men, but could also be seen as similar in their composition even if not quite as good as male bodies. In either case, the materials of the female body were thought to hold special powers. In this talk I shall consider the basic theories put forward in medical writings about the body, and then consider the different ways in which both magic and medicine suggested that women's bodies were powerful. I shall focus on milk and blood as important fluids and shall revisit stories in which even the sight of the naked female body could stop men – or insects! – in their tracks.
About the speaker: Helen King is Professor Emerita of Classical Studies at the Open University, and has held posts in Cambridge, Liverpool, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Reading, as well as in visiting roles in Europe and the USA. Her research interests encompass ancient medical thought within its social and cultural context, gender and the history of the body, as well as the reception of ancient medicine, among others. In September 2024, Profile Books will be publishing her book Immaculate Forms: Uncovering the History of Women's Bodies.
Event details
Venue: Peace Memorial Hall at Badminton School, Westbury Rd, Bristol BS9 3BA.
Start time: The talk will start at 7pm. Refreshments will be available from 6.45pm.
Ticket prices: The event is free for Bristol Classical Association members, university students, and school pupils. There will be a cost of £5 at the door for visitors. You do not need to make a payment to reserve a ticket via Eventbrite.
Image: Bikini girls mosaic, early fourth century AD, Villa Romana del Casale, Piazza Armerina, Sicily.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Badminton School, Westbury Rd, Bristol, United Kingdom
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