Heliodora: The First Known Female Astrologer in the Greco-Roman World

The discovery of Heliodora's funerary stele has shed new light on the role of women in ancient astrology. Demetra George writes about this, and the original article is published by MUSE.  Prior to this finding, there was no documentation of any women practicing astrology in the Hellenistic era. Heliodora's designation as an astrologer on her stele is a significant moment in history, marking an inception for discovering and reclaiming other women as part of a female astrological lineage.

Heliodora's stele, dated to the 2nd-3rd century, comes from Terenouthis, a village in the Egyptian Delta on the roads from both Alexandria and Memphis leading to the western desert. The stele depicts Heliodora reclining upon a couch, represented in both Egyptian and Greek motifs. Her hair style is Egyptian, and her clothing is typical Greek dress. She holds a cup extended towards a statue of a jackal, sacred to Anubis, the Egyptian god of the underworld.

The inscription on the stele reads: “Heliodora, as…