Friday, December 13, 2013

"Deformity and Disability in Greece and Rome."

Nicole Kelley's essay "Deformity and Disability in Greece and Rome," which is part of the edited volume This Abled Body: Rethinking Disabilities and Biblical Studies, offers an interesting and brief engagement with disabilities and deformities in classical antiquity.  She opens by drawing attention to some of the methodological and definitional problems in trying to understand the historical reality of disabled and deformed persons in the ancient world.  Despite the probability that disability and deformity were very common, the evidence is relatively sparse, and portrayals in art and literature may not always reflect social reality.  The ancients also lacked clearly defined categories like "disabled" or "deformed."  Kelley spends the rest of her essay focusing on two figures from Greek mythology: the god Hephaestus, who is often portrayed as congenitally lame, and Teiresias, the blind prophet.

In her discussion of Hephaestus she gives attention to other sources that address congenital disabilities and deformities, including evidence that idealizes the exposure or elimination of infants who are deemed unfit.  Whether or not these texts reflect actual practice remains an open question.  She also discusses the role of deformed people in entertainment, mentioning, among other things, the evidence that deformed persons were kept as pets in the Roman world and sold in "monster markets."  Kelley's treatment of Hephaestus closes by mentioning the economic prospects of disabled persons, noting that there is evidence that their economic outlook "was not necessarily bleak or characterized by utter dependence on family and friends" (41).      


Kelley's treatment of Teiresias explores the prevalence of references to seeing impairment in the ancient evidence, the idea that blindness can be a punishment from the gods, sometimes as a result of viewing sacred persons or spaces.  Portrayals of the blind sometimes include compensatory powers, such as Teiresias' ability to prophesy.

Kelley's article is worth checking out as a short and nicely balanced introduction to some of the issues and sources for exploring disability in classical antiquity.  The entire essay can currently be accessed on Google Books.

If you are interested in researching this area further, here are some of the primary and secondary sources she cites in the essay:

Edwards, Martha Lynn. "Physical Disability in the Ancient Greek World." (Dissertation)

Garland, Robert.  The Eye of the Beholder: Deformity and Disability in the Graeco-Roman World.

Rose, Martha L.  The Staff of Oedipus: Transforming Disability in Ancient Greece.

Iliad 1.590-94

Iliad 2.225-70

Odyssey 7.91-93

Odyssey 8.308-12

Homeric Hymn to Pythian Apollo 316-18

Plato, Republic 460c

Aristotle, Politics 1335b

Soranus, Gynecology 2.10

Plutarch, Lycurgus 16.1

Dionysius Halicarnassus 2.15

Cicero, Laws 3.19

Suetonius, Claudius 3.2

Cicero, On Oratory 2.239

Alciphron, Letters of Farmers 24.1

Plutarch Mor. 234e, 241e, 331b

Odyssey 8.62-70

Dio Chrysostom, Or. 36.10-11

Pausanius 7.5.7


12 comments:

  1. You have briefly described about "Deformity and Disability in Greece and Rome."I like your writing style and language.I use the best essay writing service for any writing help.Thank you so much for sharing this post.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am a fan of the Greek mythology; I even tried to read Metamorphoses by Ovidius – it’s tough. But I never think about the Hephaestus in that way, don’t get me wrong I knew about his leg and all the compensation stuff. But I didn’t pay attention to the overall image, and how did that God reflect rules and feelings of people from Ancient Greece. I will definitely read full essay, it’s very great that I can read it free, many of good essay are under the Elsevier or another services that don’t give full free access to the people. If you are from outside of US and you have some problems with reading in English, this service can give you a hand: The Word Point Review - Translation Services | Tool of The Day.

    ReplyDelete
  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow, superb weblog structure! How long have you been blogging for? you make blogging glance easy. The total look of your web site is excellent, neatly as the content material! ancient Greek food

    ReplyDelete
  6. What better way to meet a new friend together with a new and exciting adventure Excellent condition of our vehicles

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks for the blog loaded with so many information. Stopping by your blog helped me to get what I was looking for. Disability niche

    ReplyDelete
  8. Given that DI regulations simplest pay among 60% and 66% in their gross income, taxing this gain can drop the internet proceeds via way of means of over a third. Both of those troubles make institution DI regulations a much less than best opportunity to person DI regulations. And the ultimate sixty seven% of exposed personnel haven't any earnings alternative withinside the occasion they can't paintings because of infection or harm.Disability Insurance

    ReplyDelete
  9. Extremely useful information which you have shared here. This is a great way to enhance knowledge for us, and also helpful for us. Thankful to you for sharing an article like this. Cost of mammogram in Miami.

    ReplyDelete
  10. They are simply an opportunity to meat with an understanding group of people who have had similar experiences. NDIS Providers Kingscliff

    ReplyDelete
  11. Courses may include the study of subjects like nutrition, anatomy, CPR, medical terminology, sociology, medication administration, charting, dementia care, psychology, basic nursing skills, medical ethics, physical therapy, and many other topics. With an accredited online education in these areas students will be ready to carry out a number of tasks related to their career area. online cna programs

    ReplyDelete