Abstract Over the last decades, there has been growing interest in the use of concepts developed in gender studies theory when it comes to the reading of Latin poetry. So far, however, there has been little relevant scholarly discussion on Virgil's Eclogues . By reading the Eclogues from the perspectives of gender studies and intertextuality, which will be interconnected, this article contributes to the study of gender in Virgilian poetry and aims to encourage further investigation of Latin pastoral poetry through the lens of gender. The main focus will be Virgil's reconstruction of two emblematic bucolic female figures of Theocritus' Idylls , namely Amaryllis and Galatea. Additionally, this article shows how Virgil weaves Aegle into pastoral poetry as a transgressive female figure, substantially crossing gender roles near breaking point by taking on typically male qualities and tasks and working together with the male herdsmen.
Eleni Ntanou (Tue,) studied this question.