| The Staff of Oedipus: Transforming Disability in Ancient Greece Contributor(s): Rose, Martha L. (Author) |
|
 |
ISBN: 0472113399 ISBN-13: 9780472113392 Publisher: University of Michigan Press OUR PRICE: $79.15 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: October 2003 Annotation: Ancient Greek images of disability permeate the Western consciousness: Homer, Teiresias, and Oedipus immediately come to mind. But The Staff of Oedipus looks at disability in the ancient world through the lens of disability studies, and reveals that our interpretations of disability in the ancient world are often skewed. These false assumptions in turn lend weight to modern-day discriminatory attitudes toward disability. Martha Rose considers a range of disabilities and the narratives surrounding them. She examines not only ancient literature, but also papyrus, skeletal material, inscriptions, sculpture, and painting, and draws upon modern work, including autobiographies of people with disabilities, medical research, and theoretical work in disability studies. Her study uncovers the realities of daily life for people with disabilities in ancient Greece, and challenges the translation of the term "adunatos" (unable) as "disabled," with all its modern associations. Martha Rose is Associate Professor of History, Truman State University. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Political Science | Public Policy - Social Services & Welfare - History | Ancient - Greece |
| Dewey: 362.409 |
| LCCN: 2003002120 |
| Series: Corporealities |
| Physical Information: 0.76" H x 6.06" W x 9.46" (0.99 lbs) 168 pages |
| Themes: - Chronological Period - Ancient (To 499 A.D.) - Cultural Region - Greece - Topical - Physically Challenged |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Ancient Greek images of disability permeate the Western consciousness: Homer, Teiresias, and Oedipus immediately come to mind. But The Staff of Oedipus looks at disability in the ancient world through the lens of disability studies, and reveals that our interpretations of disability in the ancient world are often skewed. These false assumptions in turn lend weight to modern-day discriminatory attitudes toward disability. Martha L. Rose considers a range of disabilities and the narratives surrounding them. She examines not only ancient literature, but also papyrus, skeletal material, inscriptions, sculpture, and painting, and draws upon modern work, including autobiographies of people with disabilities, medical research, and theoretical work in disability studies. Her study uncovers the realities of daily life for people with disabilities in ancient Greece and challenges the translation of the term adunatos (unable) as "disabled," with all its modern associations. |