Agnodice in Greek legend was a virgin of Athens who disguised herself as a man in order to learn medicine from Hieropilus . She learned to be a midwife from Hierophilus and began to practice as such. She always revealed her femininity to her patients, but never otherwise, and as a consequence she became immensely popular. She was so popular that male physicians put out of work by her practice accused her of corruption to the Areopagus. In court, she revealed her sex, and a law was made to allow all free-born women to learn midwifery.
This entry is adapted from the public domain Lempriere's Dictionary of 1848
