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9780140446890

The Book of the City of Ladies

by ; ;
  • ISBN13:

    9780140446890

  • ISBN10:

    0140446893

  • Format: Paperback
  • Copyright: 2000-01-01
  • Publisher: RANDOM HOUSE

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Summary

'Philosophers, poets and orators too numerous to mention all speak with one voice and are unanimous in their view that female nature is wholly given up to vice.' It was this misogynist consensus that Christine de Pizan (c.1364-1430), France's first professional woman of letters, confronted head-on in the City of Ladies. Here, with the help of Reason, Rectitude and Justice, Christine constructs an allegorical city in which to defend womankind, using examples of female virtue and achievement both from the past and her own day as the stones with which to build the city's walls and towers. A key text in the history of feminism, this book provides powerful, positive images of women and also offers a fascinating insight into the debates and controversies about the position of women in medieval culture.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements v
Introduction xvi
Translator's Note xxxviii
THE BOOK OF THE CITY OF LADIES
PART I
Here begins the Book of the City of Ladies, the first chapter of which explains why and for what purpose the book was written
5(2)
Christine tells how three ladies appeared to her, and how the first of them spoke to her and comforted her in her distress
7(2)
Christine recounts how the lady who had spoken to her told her who she was, what her function and purpose was, and how she prophesied that Christine would build a city with the help of the three ladies
9(3)
How, before the lady revealed her name, she spoke at greater length about the city which Christine was destined to build, and explained that she was entrusted with the task of helping her to construct the enclosure and external walls
12(1)
Christine tells how the second lady gave her name, explained what her role was, and revealed how she would help Christine to lay out the buildings of the City of Ladies
13(1)
Christine tells how the third lady revealed her name and outlined what her role was, then explained that she would help to finish off the high turrets of the towers and palaces and would bring Christine a queen for her city accompanied by a host of noble ladies
14(1)
Christine tells how she replied to the three ladies
15(1)
Christine explains how Reason instructed her and helped her to begin digging up the ground in order to lay the foundations
16(4)
How Christine dug over the earth: in other words, the questions which she put to Reason and the answers she received from her
20(4)
More questions and answers on this subject
24(5)
Christine asks Reason why women aren't allowed in courts of law, and Reason's reply
29(1)
About the Empress Nicaula
30(1)
About a queen of France called Fredegunde, and other French queens and princesses
31(2)
More discussion and debate between Christine and Reason
33(2)
About Queen Semiramis
35(2)
About the Amazons
37(1)
About the Amazon queen, Thamiris
38(2)
How the mighty Hercules and his companion Theseus came from Greece to attack the Amazons with a great army and fleet of ships, and how the two maidens Menalippe and Hippolyta brought them down, horses and all, in a big heap
40(3)
About Queen Penthesilea and how she went to the rescue of the city of troy
43(3)
About Zenobia, Queen of Palmyria
46(3)
About the noble Queen Artemisia
49(3)
About Lilia, mother of the valiant knight Theodoric
52(1)
More about Queen Fredegunde
53(1)
About the virgin Camilla
54(1)
About Queen Berenice of Cappadocia
55(1)
About the brave Cloelia
56(1)
Christine asks Reason if God has ever blessed a woman's mind with knowledge of the highest branches of learning, and Reason's reply
57(1)
Reason begins to speak about ladies who were blessed with great learning, starting with the noble maiden Cornificia
58(1)
About Proba the Roman
59(1)
About Sappho, who was an extremely fine poet and philosopher
60(2)
About the maiden Manto
62(1)
About Medea, and another queen named Circe
63(1)
Christine asks Reason if any woman has ever invented new forms of knowledge
64(2)
About Minerva, who invented countless sciences, including the art of making arms from iron and steel
66(2)
About Queen Ceres, who invented agriculture and many other arts
68(1)
About Isis, who discovered the art of making gardens and growing plants
69(1)
About all the great good that these ladies have brought into the world
70(1)
More on the same topic
71(2)
About the maiden Arachne, who invented the arts of dyeing wool and of weaving fine tapestries, as well as the art of growing flax and making it into cloth
73(1)
About Pamphile, who discovered the art of gathering silk from worms, dyeing the thread and making it into cloth
74(1)
About Thamaris, who was a supremely gifted painter, as well as another great artist called Irene, and Marcia the Roman
75(2)
About Sempronia of Rome
77(1)
Christine asks Reason if women are naturally endowed with good judgement, and Reason replies to her question
78(2)
The `Epistle of Solomon' from the Book of Proverbs
80(1)
About Gaia Cirilla
81(1)
About the good sense and cleverness of Queen Dido
82(4)
About Opis, Queen of Crete
86(1)
About Lavinia, daughter of King Latinus
86(5)
PART II Here begins the second part of the Book of the City of Ladies which recounts how and by whom the houses and buildings were constructed inside the enclosure walls and how the City was filled with inhabitants
The first chapter tells of the ten Sibyls
91(2)
About the sibyl Erythrea
93(1)
About the sibyl Almathea
94(2)
About several prophetesses
96(2)
About Cassandra and Queen Basine, as well as more about Nicostrata
98(1)
About Antonia, who became empress of Constantinople
99(2)
Christine addresses Lady Rectitude
101(2)
Here begins a series of daughters who loved their parents, the first of whom is Drypetina
103(1)
About Hypsipyle
104(1)
About the virgin Claudine
105(1)
About a woman who breastfed her mother in prison
105(2)
Here Rectitude explains that the houses of the city have been completed and that it is time they were filled with inhabitants
107(1)
Christine asks Lady Rectitude if it's true what men and books say about the institution of marriage being unbearable because women are so impossible to live with. In her reply, Rectitude begins by discussing the great love that women have for their husbands
108(2)
About Queen Hypsicratea
110(2)
About the Empress Triaria
112(1)
More about Queen Artemisia
113(1)
About Argia, daughter of King Adrastus
114(2)
About the noble lady Agrippina
116(1)
Christine addresses Rectitude, who replies to her with several examples, telling her about the noble lady Julia, daughter of Julius Caesar and wife of the prince Pompey
117(1)
About the noble lady Tertia Aemilia
118(1)
About Xanthippe, wife of the philosopher Socrates
119(1)
About Pompeia Paulina, Seneca's wife
120(1)
About the noble Sulpicia
121(1)
About several ladies who, together, saved their husbands from execution
122(1)
Christine speaks to Lady Rectitude about those who claim that women cannot keep a secret. In her reply, Rectitude talks about Portia, Cato's daughter
123(1)
On the same subject: about the noble lady Curia
124(1)
More on this subject
125(1)
Proof against those who claim that only an idiot takes his wife's advice or puts his trust in her. Christine asks some questions to which Rectitude replies
126(2)
About various men who did well to trust their wives' advice
128(2)
Christine talks about all the good that women have brought into the world, both now and in the past
130(1)
About Judith, the noble widow
131(2)
About Queen Esther
133(1)
About the Sabine women
134(3)
About Veturia
137(1)
About Clotilde, Queen of France
138(1)
Against those who claim that it is not good for women to be educated
139(2)
Christine addresses Rectitude, who gives examples to contradict those who claim that few women are chaste, beginning with Susanna
141(1)
About Sarah
142(1)
About Rebecca
143(1)
About Ruth
143(1)
About Penelope, Ulysses's wife
144(1)
Against those who assert that there are very few chaste and attractive women: the example of Mariamme
145(1)
More on this subject: the example of Antonia, wife of Drusus Tiberius
145(2)
In order to contradict those who claim that women want to be raped, here begins a series of examples, the first of which is Lucretia
147(1)
On this same subject: the example of the queen of the Galatians
148(1)
Still on this same subject: the examples of the Sicambrians, and of several virgins
149(1)
Proofs to refute the view that women are lacking in constancy: Christine asks questions, to which Rectitude replies with various examples of emperors who were unreliable and inconsistent
150(2)
About Nero
152(2)
About the Emperor Galba, as well as others
154(2)
About Griselda, the marchioness of Saluzzo, a woman of unfailing virtue
156(5)
About Florence of Rome
161(2)
About the wife of Bernabo the Genoese
163(6)
After Rectitude has finished talking about women who were steadfast, Christine asks her why it is that all these worthy ladies of the past didn't refute the men and books who slander the female sex. Rectitude gives her answer
169(2)
Christine asks Rectitude if it's true what certain men have said about how few women are faithful in love, and Rectitude gives her reply
171(2)
On the subject of women's constancy in love: the example of Dido, Queen of Carthage
173(1)
About Medea in love
174(1)
About Thisbe
175(2)
About Hero
177(1)
About Ghismonda, daughter of the prince of Salerno
178(6)
About Lisabetta, and other women in love
184(2)
About Juno, and some other famous ladies
186(2)
Christine addresses Rectitude who, in her reply, refutes the view of those who claim that women use their charms to attract men
188(1)
About the Roman woman Claudia
189(1)
Rectitude explains that some women are loved more for their virtue than others are for their attractiveness
190(1)
About Queen Blanche, mother of Saint Louis, and other honest and decent ladies who were loved for their virtue
191(1)
Christine addresses Rectitude who, in her reply, refutes the opinion of those who claim that women are by nature mean
192(2)
About a generous and wealthy woman named Busa
194(1)
About the princesses and ladies of France
195(2)
Christine addresses princesses and all other ladies
197(4)
PART III Here begins the third part of the Book of the City of Ladies, which explains how and by whom the high turrets of the towers were finished off, and which noble ladies were chosen to dwell in the great palaces and lofty keeps
The first chapter recounts how Justice brought the Queen of Heaven to live in the City of Ladies
201(2)
About Our Lady's sisters and Mary Magdalene
203(1)
About Saint Catherine
203(3)
About Saint Margaret
206(1)
About Saint Lucy
207(1)
About the blessed virgin Martina
208(3)
About another Saint Lucy who was a virgin, as well as some other saints who were virgin-martyrs too
211(2)
About Saint Justine and other virgins
213(2)
About the virgin Theodosina, Saint Barbara, and Saint Dorothy
215(3)
About the life of Saint Christine the virgin
218(6)
About several saints who saw their children being martyred in front of them
224(1)
About Saint Marina the virgin
225(2)
About the blessed virgin Euphrosyna
227(2)
About the blessed lady Anastasia
229(2)
About the blessed Theodota
231(1)
About the noble and holy Nathalia
232(2)
About Saint Afro, a repentant prostitute who turned to God
234(1)
Justice talks about several noble ladies who served the Apostles and other saints and gave them shelter
235(2)
The end of the book: Christine addresses all women
237(4)
Notes 241(3)
Glossary 244(36)
Bibliography 280

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