Pandora as a Beautiful Woman and a Object of Desire

Abstract

The following paper discusses the way in which female beauty was conceived of in ancient Greek culture, especially in the Hesiodic description of the creation of Pandora. As I argue, some of the aspects of this creature that, according to some feminist academic writers, might have resulted from an unsympathetic perception of women, as a matter of fact, may be a part of a positively charged image of an ideal woman in Hesiodic epics. The alleged artificiality and superficiality of Pandora were most probably not meant to compromise her truthfulness or fertility, but instead were intended to attract males.

Keywords

• sexuality
• gender construction
• female beauty
• body-modification
• Greek culture