Changing Bodies, Changing Meanings - Studies on the Human Body in Antiquity (Electronic book text)

Changing Bodies, Changing Meanings gathers together expertise in archaeology, classical literature, patristics and the cultural reception of antiquity to present a fully-rounded picture of the cultural status of the human body in the ancient world. The essays examine how the different ways in which the body altered could be a means of conveying ideologies and of experiencing the self. Traditions discussed include classical Greece, Augustan Rome, New Kingdom Egypt and the world of late antiquity. This book is the first to place at its centre the emotional and experiential aspect of the body in antiquity. The interdisciplinary interests of the contributors, the application of current theoretical perspectives and the utilization of many sources never before translated into a modern language, make this work a unique contribution to a growing field of inquiry.