Phintys was a philosopher from Sparta who lived during the 4th century BCE. She was a follower of Pythagoreanism, a school of thought that included active female members. Very little is known about her personal life, though ancient sources identify her as the daughter of a man named Callicrates.
She is credited with authoring a short treatise titled On the Temperance of a Woman, which survives in fragments. The work is a practical ethical guide focusing on the virtue of sōphrosynē (moderation or self-control) as it applies specifically to women's lives, discussing conduct related to piety, marriage, and personal adornment.
Phintys is historically important as one of the few named female philosophers from ancient Greece whose own writing has partially survived. Her work provides direct evidence that women contributed to philosophical authorship within the Pythagorean tradition. According to modern scholars, her existence challenges the assumption that ancient philosophy was an exclusively male activity and offers insight into how ethical ideals were applied to different social roles in the ancient world.
Available Works
Sources
- Stanford Encyclopedia Entry (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) Accessed: 2026-01-26
- IEP Entry (Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy) Accessed: 2026-01-26