Abstract
Abstract
This chapter argues that short stature was a disability in the ancient world. Short stature, including dwarfism, did not fit the ancient ideal of moderate or average height. It was viewed by ancient medical writers and philosophers as a physical impairment, the result of underdevelopment or illness in utero. Short stature was often mocked, used as a means of dispelling the evil eye, associated with hypersexuality, and used as a feature of violent entertainment and gladiatorial spectacles. While short stature and dwarfism were not always viewed negatively, in ancient Egypt for example, by the Roman period, the pejorative use of dwarfism became prevalent in the Mediterranean world.
Publisher
Oxford University PressOxford
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