Themista of

Lampsacus Lampsacus (; ) was an ancient Greece, ancient Greek city located in modern day Turkey, strategically situated on the eastern side of the Hellespont in the northern Troad. An inhabitant of Lampsacus was called a Lampsacene. The name has been trans ...

(), the wife of Leonteus, was a student of

Epicurus Epicurus (, ; ; 341–270 BC) was an Greek philosophy, ancient Greek philosopher who founded Epicureanism, a highly influential school of philosophy that asserted that philosophy's purpose is to attain as well as to help others attain tranqui ...

, early in the 3rd century BC. Epicurus' school was unusual in the 3rd century, in that it welcomed women to attend, and we also hear of

Leontion Leontion (, ; floruit, fl. 300 BC) was a Greeks, Greek Epicurean philosopher. Biography Leontion was a pupil of Epicurus and his philosophy. She was the companion of Metrodorus of Lampsacus (the younger), Metrodorus of Lampsacus. The information ...

attending Epicurus' school around the same time.

Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, orator, writer and Academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises tha ...

ridicules Epicurus for writing "countless volumes in praise of Themista," instead of men he deemed more worthy, such as

Miltiades Miltiades (; ; c. 550 – 489 BC), also known as Miltiades the Younger, was a Greek Athenian statesman known mostly for his role in the Battle of Marathon, as well as for his downfall afterwards. He was the son of Cimon Coalemos, a renowned ...

Themistocles Themistocles (; ; ) was an Athenian politician and general. He was one of a new breed of non-aristocratic politicians who rose to prominence in the early years of the Athenian democracy. As a politician, Themistocles was a populist, having th ...

Epaminondas Epaminondas (; ; 419/411–362 BC) was a Greeks, Greek general and statesman of the 4th century BC who transformed the Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek polis, city-state of Thebes, Greece, Thebes, leading it out of Spartan subjugation into a pre ...

. Themista and Leonteus named their son Epicurus.Diogenes Laertius, x. 26

Notes

References

*Diogenes Laertius, 10. 5, 25, 26 *Lactantius, ''Divine Institutes'', 3. 25. 15 *Clement of Alexandria, ''Stromata'', 4. 121. 4 *Cicero, ''In Pisonem'', 26. 63; ''De Finibus'', 2. 21. 68 http://ldysinger.stjohnsem.edu/@texts/0215_hippolytus/x-hippolytusBW.jpg {{DEFAULTSORT:Themista Of Lampsacus Ancient Greek women philosophers Epicurean philosophers People from Lampsacus 3rd-century BC Greek philosophers Year of birth unknown 3rd-century BC deaths 3rd-century BC Greek women