Plant/Women Writers, 2. Cleobulina

(Fl. c. 600 BC.) There remains doubt about the very existence of Cleobulina, although we have three short pieces of poetry attributed to her, numerous references to her life in a variety of ancient sources, and know of two plays named after her. Scholars have long suspected that she may have been invented to personify a female riddler. Despite the problems with her history, we should not lightly dismiss her as an historical figure and poet. Details of her life, like those of most ancient authors, were quickly forgotten. What remained was a reputation for wit, learning, sound political judgement, and philosophy arising from the works attributed to her.