After its conquest in 331 B.C., Egypt became the center of the Hellenistic world, attracting men and women from other parts of the Mediterranean area. In this cosmopolitan and mobile society, Greek women of the ruling class had unprecedented opportunities and were able to employ some of the legal freedoms enjoyed by their Egyptian counterparts.

Using evidence from a wide array of sources including literature, papyri, inscriptions, coins, and terra-cotta figurines, Sarah Pomeroy discusses women ranging from queens such as Arsinoë II and Cleopatra VII to Jewish slaves working on a Greek estate. This edition contains a new foreword, additional information, and an updated bibliography by the author.