Representations of Eve in Antiquity and the English Middle Ages (review)

John Flood deftly and thoroughly explores Eve’s role in medieval discourse in his new book, Representations of Eve in Antiquity and the English Middle Ages. Although the focus of his scholarship is Eve’s influence in England, he analyzes texts from multiple languages and time periods as relevant to the birth of English mores. Sources from antiquity include writings of the Church Fathers and Christian and Jewish texts from the fifth and sixth centuries. Flood selects European texts based on English scholars’ knowledge of these writings and on the diversity of interpretations provided. The book focuses on scholarship originating from the primary material in Genesis and on interpretations by various authors such as Hesiod, Augustine, Dante, and Chaucer. Flood frames his work in a self-acknowledged deconstructed feminist perspective.

Interpretations of Genesis are central to the scholarship on Eve. In the Middle Ages, Genesis was considered a historically accurate depiction of actual events but functioned in many ways as a creation myth. As is common with myths, the idea of Eve was exploited by many. Elites eager to exert control used the story of creation to influence, while rebellious factions used Eve as a symbol of common provenance and equality. The story of Eve even influenced mundane aspects of women’s lives such as receiving punishment. However, the ultimate power of Genesis to influence lies in its ambiguous nature. Genesis is a ready canvas for multiple interpretations, especially because the literal text leaves many questions unanswered. It is all too easy to fill the gaps of the original story with whatever material best suits those wishing to exert influence.

Chapter 1 starts with the story of Eve as interpreted by the Fathers of the Church. We see Eve represented in many ways, but mostly as the opposite to Adam’s reason. Flood looks at various sources to meticulously analyze his subject. Goscelin of St. Bertin’s Book of Consolation and Tertullian’s On the Apparel of Women are both examined. The end of the chapter focuses on St. Augustine de Hippo’s The Literal Meaning of Genesis and On Genesis: A Refutation of the Manichees, as well as The City of God. Chapter 2 looks at non-Christian influences on the interpretation of Genesis, surveying Classical mythology, the Bible, Jewish scriptural commentaries, and Latin epics. Flood’s analysis begins with Hesiod’s writings on Pandora and ends with the Biblical Latin epics written in the style of Virgil. The Latin epics of Cento, by Faltonoia Betitia Proba, Heptateuch by Cyprian of Gaul, Truth by Claudius Marius Victorius, The Praise of God, by Blossius Aemelius Dracontius, and Deeds of Spiritual History by St. Alcimus Avitus are examined. Chapter 3 accounts for Eve during the Anglo-Saxon period. The Anglo-Saxon sources for Eve are Biblical accounts because patristic thought was not widespread. Bede was the most known of the learned men on this subject and interestingly he wrote in the vernacular. Bede’s representation of Eve follows the tradition established by Alcuin and Aelfric. Anglo-Saxon attitudes toward women were more positive than Christian mores allowed, but unfortunately such attitudes were discarded during the Norman Conquest.

Chapter 4 analyzes late medieval theology by looking at highly circulated works by Peter Lombard, Thomas Aquinas, Peter Comestor, and Dante. Aquinas develops a theory of the sexes while Dante provides an interpretation of creation where Eve is portrayed in a positive light. Dante’s works, of course, were influential on English thought, especially on Chaucer, Gower, and Lydgate. Chapter 5 looks at defenses of Eve. The defense of women employed two distinct strategies. One, which Boccaccio took in his Concerning Famous Women, was to list illustrious virtuous women. Another approach was to focus on logical arguments in the form of rhetorical tracts, which were produced for analyzing the skill of rhetoric as much as for comments on the substantive subject. Juan Rodriguez Del Padron’s The Triumph of Women, featuring Cardiana’s...