Body Technologies in the Greco-Roman World: Technosôma, gender and sex
Body Technologies in the Greco-Roman World: Technosôma, gender and sex
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Abstract
A collection of fourteen papers that introduces the notion of the technosoma (techno body) into discussions on the representations of the body in classical antiquity. By applying the category of the technosoma to the ‘natural’ body, this volume explicitly narrows down the discussion of the technical and the natural to the physiological body. In doing so, the present collection focuses on body technologies in the specific form of beautification and body enhancement techniques, as well as medical and surgical treatments. The volume elucidates two main points. Firstly, ancient techno bodies show that the categories of gender and sexuality are at the core of the intersection of the natural and the technical, and intersect with notions of race, age, speciesism, class and education, and dis/ability. Secondly, the collection argues that new body technologies have in fact a very ancient history that can help to address the challenges of contemporary technological innovation. To this end, the volume showcases the intersection of ‘natural’ bodies with technology, gender, sexuality and reproduction. On the one hand, techno bodies tend to align with normative ideas about gender, and sexuality. On the other hand, body modification and/or enhancement techniques work hand in hand with economic and political power and knowledge, thus they often produce techno bodies that are shaped according to individual needs, i.e. according to a certain lifestyle. Consequently, techno bodies threaten to alter traditional ideas of masculinity, femininity, male and female sexuality and beauty.
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Front Matter
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Introduction
Maria Gerolemou
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Part I Technologies and Bodies
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Short Introduction: In Search of a Definition: What is an (Ancient) technosoma?
Giulia Maria Chesi
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1
Dysfunction (δυσέργεια) and Deformity (ἀπρέπεια) in Paul of Aegina’s Surgical Chapters
Alessia Guardasole
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2
Medical Equipment to Repair Broken Bodies: The plinthion for the Reduction of Dislocations
Irene Calà
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3
Bodies with Organs, Bodies without Organs
Chiara Thumiger
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4
Natural-born Cyborgs, Or, when Talos met Medea
Genevieve Liveley
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5
The Bear Necessities: Thrasyleon, Lucius, and the Status of Skins in The Golden Ass
Martin Devecka
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Short Introduction: In Search of a Definition: What is an (Ancient) technosoma?
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Part II Body Technologies and Gender
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Short Introduction: Prosthetic Beauty
Giulia Maria Chesi
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6
Galen’s Thrasybulus: Medicine, Gymnastic Trainers, and the technosoma
Daniel King
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7
Body Beautification and Black Ethiopians in Herodotus’ Ethiopian logos
Giulia Maria Chesi
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8
Want to Look Younger and Stronger? Cosmetic Hot Baths in Classical Antiquity
Maria Gerolemou
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9
Mansplaining with Ovid: Ars–cultus–munditia and the ‘Natural’ Body
Marguerite Johnson
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10
O Tempora, O Morays: Eels and Luxury in Imperial Rome
Martin Devecka
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11
The techne that Races: Phoenician–Punic technosomata in Homer and Plautus
Elena Giusti
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Short Introduction: Prosthetic Beauty
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Part III Body Technologies and Sexuality
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Short Introduction: Hybrid Pleasures
Giulia Maria Chesi
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12
Orchids, Lizards, and Lettuce: Aphrodisiacs and technosomata
Laurence Totelin
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13
Lucian’s Lunar Tree-people: Between Sexual Technology and the Prosthetic Imagination
Karen ní Mheallaigh
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14
Negotiating Women’s Sexual Identity with a Scalpel: Ancient and Contemporary Views on Female Genital Surgery
Elisa Groff
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Epilogue: Technosomata and Moral Anxiety
Rebecca Langlands
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Short Introduction: Hybrid Pleasures
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End Matter
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