People mocked me for studying Classics — UI don, Folake Onayemi

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One of the first women to be awarded a PHD in Classics in Sub-Saharan Africa, Folake Onayemi, tells OGHENOVO EGODO-MICHAEL about her career, the academia, lifestyle and other issues

In my case, studying Classics was by divine arrangement. When I applied to the University of Ibadan, I was offered admission to study Language Arts . I told an uncle, who is now late, that I would have loved to study Law. He then suggested that I should do Classics first, then switch to Law later. He took me to the department and we met Professor James Ilevbare, who later became my mentor. We were nine students in my set— four ladies and five men.

By the time I was in my second year, I had made already up my mind to stick to Classics. I focused on the course, strove for a good result and at the end of the day, it paid off. You are an expert on comparative Greco-Roman and Nigerian literature, cultures, and mythology, particularly relating to the roles and representations of women. How were you able to carve that niche for yourself?

In ancient literature, beautiful women were feared, and there are many instances in literature that support this assertion. There is a Latin maxim that says, ‘Rarely do the gods give to a woman beauty and brain’. Also in African traditional settings, when women are too beautiful, some people believe they are ‘mami water’ . Those things are actually myths, and it is as a result of the fear of what a beautiful woman can do in society.

Many people in Nigeria still don’t know what the study of Classics entails. As the Nigerian representative at the International Federation of the Societies of Classical Studies, how are you changing that narrative?

 

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