The evolution of the Hermaphrodite in Greek culture
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ancient history
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published 06/11/2008
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Summary
The nature of the hermaphrodite was a source of conflicting emotions in the Classical World. On one hand, the androgynous being represented a kind of natural deformity and was treated with fear; on the other hand, the hermaphrodite was the embodiment of physical, emotional, and mental harmony. While this paradox has almost always existed in mythology, one side or the other tended to predominate during a given cultural atmosphere. It is not until the late Classical/early Hellenistic period that we see the hermaphrodite become the object of veneration, the new ideal of beauty for a bisexual culture. By studying the shifting attitudes of mythology, the rise of the oikoumene culture, and evolution of gender, I hope to show that the hermaphrodite became a symbol of Hellenistic identity, community, and changing erotic sensibilities, no longer a subject for fear. In a paper of this nature, definitions are vital for clarity; unfortunately, the Greek conception of hermaphrodite is much less clear than the modern medical sense. While in some cases a hermaphrodite refers to any creature born with male and female genitalia, the meaning was stretched to enclose any sort of dual-sexuality.
Table of Contents
- Introduction.
- The nature of the hermaphrodite.
- The Hermaphrodite in Greek Mythology.
- The role of the hermaphrodite in Greek mythology.
- Antagonism to the fusion of two separate sexual beings.
- The precedent for the appearance of androgynous archetypes in Eastern religions.
- Outside of the realm of myth and story.
- Greek fear of hermaphrodites.
- Human hermaphrodites separated from stories and legends.
- The Neolithic and Archaic prejudices.
- Rise of the Oikoumene.
- The reason for early fear or uneasiness about the physical hermaphrodite.
- The Hellenistic period.
- The new amiability between men and women.
- Conclusion.
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