Hermaphrodites in and around Diderot's Encyclopédie (original) (raw)
Related papers
Traditio, 2019
Despite its rarity, hermaphroditism is often discussed in medieval texts in theoretical and practical contexts by canonists, theologians, and natural philosophers. For the canonist or theologian, hermaphroditism raised questions concerning baptism, marriage, entry to clerical orders, and legal status. For the natural philosopher, the hermaphrodite seemed to violate the strict dichotomy of male and female. Here I examine Albert the Great's natural-philosophical treatment of hermaphroditism. Albert rejects the view that hermaphrodites constitute a "third sex" and instead invokes Aristotle's authority to show that hermaphrodites are a "monstrous" flaw in nature. He carefully investigates the manner in which nature produces hermaphrodites in the womb and introduces a discussion of the generative capacity of hermaphrodites themselves. He concludes that they are incapable of reproducing in and of themselves (i.e., they are incapable of auto-fecundation) although they seem able to generate in another individual through coition.
"Heavenly Hermaphrodites: Sexual Difference at the Beginning and End of Time"
postmedieval: a journal of medieval cultural studies , 2018
This article examines how ancient and medieval Christians invoked ideas about ‘hermaphrodites’ to work out fundamental questions about who we are as humans. What was the original or ideal state of humanity? Was the division of sex into male and female an inherent part of human nature? Certain Christian theologians, beginning in antiquity, claimed that Adam – the first human, according to the biblical book of Genesis – was an ‘androgyne’ or ‘hermaphrodite,’ that is, a combination of male and female sex. Similarly, some medieval theologians speculated that all post-resurrection bodies were androgynous. In conversations about both the creation and the resurrection, questions about sexual difference thus surfaced repeatedly, revealing key assumptions about the sexed body and its place in the narrative of Christian history. This article suggests that such debates were key to ancient and medieval efforts to determine which sexes were legitimate sexes, and therefore which lives were redeemably human.
Antike Mythologie: Hermaphroditos (Latin and English)
Die früheste schriftliche Überlieferung des Hermaphroditos-Mythos findet sich bei Diodor; Ovids Metamorphosen sind einzige ausführliche Darstellung ist die in Ovids Metamorphosen. Diese Fassung war (anders als Diodors Text) auch im Mittelalter bekannt. Es gab sehr gelehrte Auslegungen (z.B. durch die Mythographi Vaticani [11. Jh. (?)] oder im sog. Ovidus moralizatus [14, Jh,.), aber Ovids Schriften waren auch Schullektüre und damit (relativ) weit bekannt.
Between the Monstrous and the Divine: Hermaphrodites in Phlegon of Tralles' Mirabilia
The aim of this paper is to examine the role of sexually ambiguous human individuals in the Mirabilia by Phlegon of Tralles. The text preserves two curious accounts of the birth of hermaphroditic infants. In antiquity hermaphrodites were usually regarded as maleficent portents which needed a propitiation of the gods; traces of this belief are to be found also in the Mirabilia, since both accounts represent these ‘creatures’ as evil omens. However, in Phlegon’s times hermaphrodites ceased to be considered dangerous and became objects of refined entertainment. I attempt to show that Phlegon, incorporating these particular stories of hermaphrodites into his compilation, plays with the former significance of this phenomenon. First of all, hermaphrodites perfectly fit Phlegon’s collection of marvels, which is focused exclusively on human oddities. But most importantly, he chooses two stories, one of which is strikingly drastic, highly incredible and exceptionally complex in terms of the odd and the bizarre, and the other is reduced to mere quotations from vague and gloomy Sybilline Oracles; in both of them the hermaphrodite is just a part of the sensation and triggers off a sequence of many other extraordinary elements. No longer seen as dangerous, these very special hermaphrodites are used for entertainment purposes providing amusement to the readers by means of shock, astonishment and sensation, along with other ‘freaks of nature’ in the Mirabilia.
An Admirer of Beccadelli’s Hermaphroditus: Antonio da Pescia
Humanistica Lovaniensia, 2018
This paper provides the first edition of a letter of praise to Antonio Beccadelli written by the humanist Antonio da Pescia. The epistle is further testimony to the success of the Hermaphroditus among Beccadelli's contemporaries. *
Sexual Ambivalence: Androgyny and Hermaphroditism in Graeco
2005
Lloyd’s translation of Brisson’s Le sexe incertain: androgynie et hermaphroditisme dans l’Antiquité gréco-romaine (Paris: Les Belles Lettres, 1997) makes the culmination of Brisson’s twenty-year interest in the topic he defines as ‘dual sexuality’ accessible to a wider audience, at a time when interest in the definition and presentation of gender in the ancient world is steadily increasing. The translation itself is very good at rendering Brisson’s somewhat idiosyncratic use of terminology into commendably clear English and this volume shows why Lloyd deserves Brisson’s accolade that there is ‘no more competent or better informed translator’ (xiv) and many of the notes acknowledging the sources of translations (or Brisson’s modifications to existing Loeb translations) are her additions, produced during her collaboration with Brisson.