Playing a word-association game using the word Ancient Greece, the Big Screen adaptation of Frank Miller’s classic “300” comic book, would probably be high on the list of many an average person. Ancient Greece, of course, is not only known for its heroic warriors and military prowess destroying the invading enemy armies. It is widely revered as the birthplace of Western philosophy and thought from which the Renaissance sprang in the 15th and 16th centuries.

The ruminations and deep thoughts of the founders of Western philosophy like Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato are rightly held in the highest esteem in the world. Although classical and post-classical Greece was by and large a Patriarchal society, possibly with the exception of Sparta, as were most civilizations in the Mediterranean basin, it would surprise one to know that there were also influential ancient Greek female philosophers who left their mark on ancient Greek thought.

The most prominent female figure in the pursuit of truth and the sciences is Hypatia of Alexandria, a philosopher from the Neoplatonic School of thought who lived in the 3rd century AD. Her contributions involved several fields of mathematics including advanced geometry, computation methods, and applications to astronomy.

But before here, several other women played significant roles in shaping philosophical thought, contributing immensely to the intellectual legacy of ancient Greece. Here are some of the most remarkable yet often overlooked female philosophers:

Perictione – Natural Philosopher (429 BC)
A natural philosopher, Perictione was a student of Pythagoras (569–475 BC), the mother of Plato, and is believed to have taught at the Pythagorean school. Two of her surviving works ascribed to her, “On Wisdom” and “The Harmony of Women”, reflect Perictione’s philosophical contributions.

Whilst most of the Pseudo-Pythagorean writings, a collection of treatises and writings that began to emerge after the end of the Pythagorean school around 350 BC, ascribed to female authors focus on women-related topics, her treatise “On Wisdom” is unique because it concerns humankind, rather than women specifically.

Diotima of Mantinea (440 BC)
Diotima was a philosopher honored by Socrates, who referred to her as his teacher. Plato mentioned her in his “Symposium”, portraying her as a key figure in shaping his ideas on love and beauty. Diotima was also a priestess in Mantinea, Arcadia. Today, various academic institutions and study centers bear her name.

Arete of Cyrene (5th century BC)
Arete was a contemporary of Socrates and taught philosophy at the Attic school. She lived in Cyrene, Libya, and was the daughter of Aristippus, the founder of the Cyrenaic school of philosophy. Even as late as the 14th century AD, Boccaccio (1313–1375) referenced her as a valuable source of knowledge. She is credited with writing 40 books and teaching over 110 philosophers.

Her son Aristippus the Younger, continued her legacy as the head of the Cyrenaic school. He became known as “Mother-Taught”, highlighting the rare and remarkable fact that he was educated by his mother.

Themistoclea – Natural Philosopher (6th century BC)
Themistoclea was the wife of Leon and a correspondent of Epicurus (371–271 BCE). She was often called “the female Solon,” comparing her intellect to that of the great Athenian lawmaker Solon.

Hipparchia of the Cynics (360–280 BC)
Hipparchia was a member of the unconventional Cynic school of philosophy. She married the Cynic philosopher Crates and fully embraced the Cynic lifestyle, rejecting material comforts, personal property, and societal norms, including traditional marriage expectations. The Cynics believed that true freedom required rejecting existing social and political structures to become “citizens of the universe.”

Lasthenia – Natural Philosopher (325 BC)
Plato acknowledged several women philosophers in ancient Greece, and Lasthenia was among them. She was a known student at Plato’s Academy.

These women, though often overshadowed by their male counterparts, made lasting contributions to philosophy, mathematics, and science, shaping the intellectual heritage of the ancient world.