Gender, sex and status : the politics of divine healing among the Ancient Greeks
This thesis addresses healing opportunities beyond âprofessionalâ doctors or the big Asclepius cults in ancient Greece from the viewpoint of individuals as âconsumersâ of healing. It builds upon the scholarship written' on Asclepius and examines the evidence for treatment in sanctuaries, not normally considered to be âhealing cultsâ despite clear clues to healing as part of their remit. It analyses archaeological material from these venues, literature and epigraphy to explore in depth cases of healing experience among the ancients. The main focus is on the individual worshipper, seeking answers to how people from different social strata manifested anxieties about their bodies through ritual practice and beyond. Were some cults believed to be specially helpful for particular âmedicalâ problems? Were healing rituals at some shrines ordered by gender, age or social status? The thesis concentrates on two major case studies. One looks at reproductive processes, both for men and for women, with different cultural ideologies about gender as the main driver. The second is driven by social status and considers how being a slave or a child, i.e. a dependent member of the society, could restrict or otherwise
Senkova, Michaela
Gender, sex and status : the politics of divine healing among the Ancient Greeks. This thesis addresses healing opportunities beyond âprofessionalâ doctors or the big Asclepius cults in ancient Greece from the viewpoint of individuals as âconsumersâ of healing. It builds upon the scholarship written' on Asclepius and examines the evidence for treatment in sanctuaries, not normally considered to be âhealing cultsâ despite clear clues to healing as part of their remit. It analyses archaeological material from these venues, literature and epigraphy to explore in depth cases of healing experience among the ancients. The main focus is on the individual worshipper, seeking answers to how people from different social strata manifested anxieties about their bodies through ritual practice and beyond. Were some cults believed to be specially helpful for particular âmedicalâ problems? Were healing rituals at some shrines ordered by gender, age or social status? The thesis concentrates on two major case studies. One looks at reproductive processes, both for men and for women, with different cultural ideologies about gender as the main driver. The second is driven by social status and considers how being a slave or a child, i.e. a dependent member of the society, could restrict or otherwise
gender sex status politics divine heal among ancient_greeks address heal opportunity beyond professional doctor big cult ancient_greece viewpoint individual consumer heal build_upon scholarship write examines evidence treatment sanctuary normally consider healing cult despite clear clue heal part remit analysis archaeological_material venue literature epigraphy explore depth_case heal experience among ancient main_focus individual seek_answer people_different social_stratum manifest anxiety body ritual_practice beyond cult believe specially helpful particular medical problem heal ritual shrine order gender_age social_status concentrate two_major case_study look reproductive process men_woman different cultural ideology gender main driver second drive social_status considers slave child dependent member_society could restrict otherwise