span a period from the seventh century bce to the sixth century ace. Although we know the names of approximately one hundred Greek and Roman women writers, fragments of about fifty of these women authors remain. For commentary and translation on these women writers, see I. M. Plant’s comprehensive anthology, Women Writers of Ancient Greece and Rome, (University of Oklahoma
Press, 2004). Plant’s complete list of attested women writers of the Greco-Roman world is extremely useful. See also Jane McIntosh
Snyder’s very helpful introduction to these authors: The Woman and the Lyre: Women Writers in Classical Greece and Rome,(Southern
Illinois University Press, 1989). I have included in the list below the authors whose works either survive or are considered significant
because of references to them in major ancient sources. Aesara: Third-century bce Greek author of a philosophical work On Human Nature, quoted in part by Stobaeus, Greek author of an anthology of poets and prose writers (early fifth century ace). Anyte: Greek Hellenistic poet (generally dated between 310 and 290 bc), writer of epigrams, twenty-one of which have survived.
Boeo: Greek author whom Pausanias discusses in reference to a short fragment of hers about the oracle of Delphi.
Caecilia Trebulla: Roman writer who composed three epigrams around 130 ace.
Cleobulina: Greek writer probably from sixth century bce, composer of riddles. Only three of those riddles remain.
Cleopatra: Greek physician who wrote a treatise called Cosmetics, possibly around 64 ace or later. She is not to be confused with the famous Egyptian queen.
Cleopatra the Alchemist: Greek alchemical writer whose works date anywhere from the first to the third centuries ace. Her work,The Chrysopeia (gold-manufacture) survives only in a diagram(see Plant 2004).
Corinna: Well known, highly regarded Greek poet, probably from fifth century bce, although some scholars believe her to be from third century bce. Two main fragments, and a few very short fragments, survive.
Cornelia: Prominent late-Republican Roman woman (second century bce) who wrote letters that were much admired.
Demo: Greek writer of one short epigram, (Plant 2004, 157), dated to approximately 196 ace or later.
Dionysia: Greek epigram writer from around 122 ace. Only one short epigram survives.
Egeria: Roman writer of a religious pilgrimage to Jerusalem, probably from early fifth century ace. Her account of her pilgrimage, the Itinerarium, was discovered in 1884.
Elephantis: Roman author of erotica, “popular at the end of the first century bce” (Plant 2004, 118).
Erinna: Greek Hellenistic poet probably from around the middle of the fourth century bce. She was praised in antiquity for her
poem The Distaff, which still remains in a fragmentary form along with a few fragmentary epigrams.
Eucheria: Roman poet from late fifth or early sixth centuries ace. One of her poems has survived.
Eudocia: Greek epic poet who wrote on Christian themes, in fifth century ace. A number of her works survive.
Eurydice: Greek epigram writer from fifth century bce.
Fabulla: Roman medical writer from first century ace.
Hedyle: Greek poet who probably lived in second half of fourth century bce.
One fragment of hers, quoted by Athenaeus, has survived. Hortensia: Roman orator around 44 bce, whose famous speech in the Forum was cited by Valerius Maximus, (Roman writer of a
handbook consisting of illustrative examples of memorable deeds and sayings), in the first century ace.
Julia Balbilla: Roman poet from first century ace. Four of her poems survive, all inscribed on the colossal statue of Memnon in Egypt.
Lais: Greek prostitute (fifth century bce), famous in antiquity. Pliny(Roman writer, first century ace) refers to a work on menstruation attributed to Lais. As Plant 2004 notes, we do not have enough evidence to judge the authenticity of Lais’ writings.
Maria: Greek first century ace (or earlier) alchemical writer, quoted by the Greek historian Zosimus of Panopolis inthird or fourth centuries ace. Eight fragments of her work remain.
Melinno: Greek poet, probably early second century bce. Stobaeus, a Greek writer in the fifth century ace, quotes one short poem by her.
Melissa: Greek philosophical writer from approximately third century bce.
Moero: Greek poet from third century bce. The Suda, a historical encyclopedia compiled in the tenth century ace, says that Moero was the author of epic and lyric poetry. Three short fragments of hers have survived.
Myia: Greek philosophical writer probably from third or second century ace.
Myrtis: Greek lyric poet possibly from late sixth century bce. Reputed to be a teacher of both Pindar and Corinna, two of the most highly regarded Greek lyric poets. None of Myrtis’ work survives, only a paraphrase of one of her poems in Plutarch (Greek writer, first century ace).
Nicobule: Greek historical writer who lived sometime between third and first centuries ace. Two fragments of her work survive.