A woman to know: Theano of Krotone

The ancient Hellenic writers were dedicated historians, but they often neglected to mention the achievements of ancient Hellenic women. Now it so happens that I am a woman and I quite like having a few female heroes to look up to, so I want to introduce you to them. Today: Theano of Krotone.

Little is known about the life of Theano (Θεανώ), and the ancient sources are confused. According to one tradition, she came from Krete and was the daughter of Pythonax, but others said she came from Krotone and was the daughter of Brontinos of Metapontum (Βροντῖνος) a Pythagorean philosopher, and a friend and disciple of Pythagoras himself. She was said by many to have been the wife of Pythagoras, although another tradition made her the wife of Brontinos. Iamblichus, in an attempt to resolve the confusion, refers to Deino as the wife of Brontinus. She is said to have given Pythagoras at least three daughters (Damo, Myia, and Arignote) and a son, Telauges.

The writings attributed to Theano were: Pythagorean Apophthegms, Female Advice, On Virtue, On Piety, On Pythagoras, Philosophical Commentaries, and Letters. None of these writings have survived except a few fragments and letters of uncertain authorship. Attempts have been made to assign some of these fragments and letters to the original Theano (Theano I) and some to a later Theano (Theano II), but it is likely that they are all pseudonymous fictions of later writers, which attempt to apply Pythagorean philosophy to a woman's life. The surviving fragment of On Piety concerns a Pythagorean analogy between numbers and objects; the various surviving letters deal with domestic concerns: how a woman should bring up children, how she should treat servants, and how she should behave virtuously towards her husband.

From the Gnomologium Vaticanum, a Byzantine collection of sayings and anecdotes of ancient Hellenic philosophers and other celebrities, come the following words of wisdom:

- "Theano used to say “It is shameful to be silent on matters about which it is noble to speak and noble to be silent on those shameful to mention'."
- "Theano the Pythagorean philosopher was asked how a man and woman might live together and said ‘if they learn to bear each other’s moods'."
- "Theano suggested that a woman coming to her husband should strip off her shame along with her clothes and put them all back on again when she left'."
 - "Theano, when asked what number of days a woman was clean from her husband and is was right for her to go to the temple, said ” ‘on the same day from her own husband, but never from another'."
- "Theano said ‘It is better to trust onself to an unbridled horse than an illogical woman'."
 - "While Theano was walking she showed her forearm and some youth when he saw it said 'Nice skin'. She responded, 'it’s not communal''."
- "When Theano the Pythagorean philosopher was asked what eros is, she said 'the passion of a soul with spare time'."