French Literature Reviews - 2026
Séverine Auffret, Melanippe the Philosopher
Philosophy, Anthropology and Ideas
With the collaboration of Geneviève Javary
Melanippe the Philosopher is the title of a lost play by Euripides, of which only a few fragments survive. The philosopher Séverine Auffret has examined this little-known work, viewing it as a trace of ancient female philosophical thought that has been erased by official history. Her essay does more than just rehabilitate an overlooked figure: it examines the connections between philosophy and the feminine. First published in 1988, the book takes a threefold approach: philosophical reflection, the study and translation of the surviving fragments, and a poetic extension imagining the “prehistory of philosophy.” By linking antiquity to the present day, Séverine Auffret gives a voice back to lost thought and opens up a reflection on myth, language, and the history of ideas. This book was chosen as a 2024 staff pick by the librarians of the City of Paris.
“At a time when young Greek philosophy was still bubbling with the formation of its language, its guiding frameworks, and its institutions, the Philosopher could be spoken of, and conceived of, within a tragedy.” S.A.
An agrégée in philosophy, Séverine Auffret taught in secondary schools from 1968 to 2002 while pursuing philosophical and literary research. She is the author of some ten books, several published by des femmes-Antoinette Fouque: Des couteaux contre des femmes, 1982; Nous Clytemnestre, 1984; Mélanippe la philosophe, 1988.
A founding member of the Université Populaire de Caen in 2002, she directed and led a seminar on writing an alternative history of feminist ideas. In 2018, she received the Simone Veil Prize “Special Jury Mention” for her book Une histoire du féminisme de l’Antiquité grecque à nos jours (Éditions de l’Observatoire).
Séverine Auffret's study engages with the broader tradition of feminist philosophy and the recovery of marginalized texts from antiquity. The intersection of gender and early Greek philosophy remains a significant area of inquiry within classical studies and intellectual history, seeking to understand how female figures were represented or silenced in classical texts.
Readers interested in the history of feminist thought, classical literature, and the philosophical implications of ancient drama may find this volume relevant. Auffret has written extensively on the history of feminism and literature, maintaining a career dedicated to both secondary education and independent research within the French intellectual landscape.