Agnodice of Ancient Greece was a powerful woman. Seeing that too many women died during childbirth, she went to the famed Alexandria Egypt to study medicine and returned to Athens where (of course) women were forbidden from practicing medicine. So she pretended to be a man. When her birth outcomes became so much better than all the other (male) doctors, they became jealous and accused her of seducing her women patients. Brought before the court for these bogus charges, she stripped before the jury (well, she lifted her tunic) to reveal her true identity. Now, not only jealous at her superior ability but also shamed by an "inferior" woman, they moved to execute her! In an unexpected surprise move, all the girls, women, mothers and daughters whose lives she had saved stormed the court to defend her and praise her effective treatments. She was acquitted and the law against female physicians in Athens was revoked. A major step for the equality of women (yea!) yet we must ask the obvious question: If this happened around 2500 years ago - why are women still fighting for equal pay and status in America today?
Written by Bruce Vinikas, AP, DOM
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