Which Women? Privilege and Reproduction in Phintys’s “On Sōphrosynē”

This article examines the social and political philosophy of Phintys the Pythagorean (ca. 1st BCE – 1st CE). Special attention is given to the tension between the oikos, polis, and the individual in her brief treatise. Through an analysis of the virtue of sōphrosynē (self-discipline), Phintys argues that certain women are deeply impacted by state and social expectations and ought to approach those constraints thoughtfully and strategically. I argue that Phintys aims to convince other women to act in a way that maintains the current social structures of power, continuing her and others’ privileges, opportunities, and responsibilities. In this engagement with Phintys’s work, I develop a nuanced view of the ancient world while navigating and critiquing her complex argumentation and her approach to power.