The Staff of Oedipus: Transforming Disability in Ancient Greece (Corporealities: Discourses of Disability)

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. Exposes centuries-old disability myths that still survive today | 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. The Staff Of Oedipus Looks At A Wide Range Of Writing On Disability Within The Framework Of Ancient Social History. Martha L. Rose Examines Not Only Ancient Literature, But Also Evidence From Papyri, Skeletal Remains, Inscriptions, Sculpture, And Painting, As Well As Modern Sources, Including Disability Autobiographies, Medical Research, And The Burgeoning Scholarship And Theoretical Work In The Field Of Disability Studies.--jacket. 1. The Landscape Of Disability -- 2. Killing Defective Babies -- 3. Demosthenes' Stutter: Overcoming Impairment -- 4. Croesus's Other Son: Deafness In A Culture Of Communication -- 5. Degrees Of Sight And Blindness -- Conclusions: Ability And Disability In Lysias 24. Martha L. Rose. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 131-148) And Index. Cover 1 Title 4 Copyright 5 Preface 8 Contents 12 Abbreviations 14 Introduction 16 1. The Landscape of Disability 24 2. Killing Defective Babies 44 3. Demosthenes' Stutter. Overcoming Impairment 65 4. Croesus's Other Son. Deafness in a Culture of Communication 81 5. Degrees of Sight and Blindness 94 Conclusions. Ability and Disability in Lysias 24 110 Notes 116 INTRODUCTION 116 CHAPTER ONE 117 CHAPTER TWO 123 CHAPTER THREE 130 CHAPTER FOUR 134 CHAPTER FIVE 138 CONCLUSIONS 143 References 146 Primary Sources 146 Secondary Material 150 Index 164