Phintys
Encyclopedia
Phintys was a Pythagorean
philosopher. Nothing is known about her life, nor where she came from. She wrote a work on the correct behaviour of women, two extracts of which are preserved by Stobaeus
.
Nothing is known about the life of Phintys. It is not even certain whether she wrote the work which bears her name. Stobaeus calls her the daughter of Callicrates; and it has been suggested that she was the daughter of Callicratidas
, the Sparta
n admiral who lived in the late 5th century BC, but this is pure conjecture. Two fragments of her work survive, written in the Doric
dialect of the 4th or 3rd century BC. Iamblichus lists a Philtys of Croton, daughter of Theophrius, in his catalogue of female Pythagoreans, but apart from a similarity in names, there is no other reason to connect the two figures.
The two extracts of her work which survive are each about a page long. They focus on the need for a woman to be chaste, arguing that a woman wrongs the gods and natural law
if she does not do so. She further states that a woman's greatest honour is to bear children which resemble their father, and that a woman must dress in moderation and not embellish her appearance. Although her arguments favour a traditional role for women, she does argue that it is important for a woman to practice philosophy
because courage
, justice
, and intelligence
are common to both men and women.
Pythagoreanism
Pythagoreanism was the system of esoteric and metaphysical beliefs held by Pythagoras and his followers, the Pythagoreans, who were considerably influenced by mathematics. Pythagoreanism originated in the 5th century BCE and greatly influenced Platonism...
philosopher. Nothing is known about her life, nor where she came from. She wrote a work on the correct behaviour of women, two extracts of which are preserved by Stobaeus
Stobaeus
Joannes Stobaeus , from Stobi in Macedonia, was the compiler of a valuable series of extracts from Greek authors. The work was originally divided into two volumes containing two books each...
.
Nothing is known about the life of Phintys. It is not even certain whether she wrote the work which bears her name. Stobaeus calls her the daughter of Callicrates; and it has been suggested that she was the daughter of Callicratidas
Callicratidas
Callicratidas was a Spartan naval commander in the Peloponnesian War. In 406 BC, he was sent to the Aegean to take command of the Spartan fleet from Lysander, the first navarch....
, the Sparta
Sparta
Sparta or Lacedaemon, was a prominent city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the banks of the River Eurotas in Laconia, in south-eastern Peloponnese. It emerged as a political entity around the 10th century BC, when the invading Dorians subjugated the local, non-Dorian population. From c...
n admiral who lived in the late 5th century BC, but this is pure conjecture. Two fragments of her work survive, written in the Doric
Doric Greek
Doric or Dorian was a dialect of ancient Greek. Its variants were spoken in the southern and eastern Peloponnese, Crete, Rhodes, some islands in the southern Aegean Sea, some cities on the coasts of Asia Minor, Southern Italy, Sicily, Epirus and Macedon. Together with Northwest Greek, it forms the...
dialect of the 4th or 3rd century BC. Iamblichus lists a Philtys of Croton, daughter of Theophrius, in his catalogue of female Pythagoreans, but apart from a similarity in names, there is no other reason to connect the two figures.
The two extracts of her work which survive are each about a page long. They focus on the need for a woman to be chaste, arguing that a woman wrongs the gods and natural law
Natural law
Natural law, or the law of nature , is any system of law which is purportedly determined by nature, and thus universal. Classically, natural law refers to the use of reason to analyze human nature and deduce binding rules of moral behavior. Natural law is contrasted with the positive law Natural...
if she does not do so. She further states that a woman's greatest honour is to bear children which resemble their father, and that a woman must dress in moderation and not embellish her appearance. Although her arguments favour a traditional role for women, she does argue that it is important for a woman to practice philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
because courage
Courage
Courage is the ability to confront fear, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation...
, justice
Justice
Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...
, and intelligence
Intelligence
Intelligence has been defined in different ways, including the abilities for abstract thought, understanding, communication, reasoning, learning, planning, emotional intelligence and problem solving....
are common to both men and women.