A word about women in antiquity

We often speak about the inferior status of women in the ancient world, but there is a great deal of evidence indicating that wealthy women were public benefactors and maintained strong civic relations with various city and organizational leaders. While notably limited by their gender, it is worth noting, however, that class and status took priority over gender restrictions to the extent that women of high-status often functioned as patrons to cities, public groups, and private associations. A few examples include Livia, Caesar Augustus’s wife, who extended her patronage to cities, social groups, and individuals. Junia Theodora was also a patron of the city of Corinth in the early first century. Another example was Plancia Magna, whose benefactions bestowed on early second-century Perge in Pamphilia were recognized by the erection of a statute with dedicatory inscriptions. Lastly, Phoebe, the servant of the church at Cenchraea, was described in Rom. 16: 1-2 as patron to others as well as to Paul.