This engrossing book was the first ever investigation into the plight of the disabled and deformed in Graeco-Roman society, drawing on a wealth of material, including literary texts, medical tracts, vase paintings, sculpture, mythology and ethnography. It is now issued in paperback for the first time with a new preface and updated bibliography. Garland's enthusiasm and erudition have produced one of the most readable and informative books of recent years in the field of ancient social history ... an excellent introduction to the subject. ... should be read by everyone with a concern for where we come from morally, intellectually, politically and culturally. Robert Garland is Professor of Classics at Colgate University, USA. He is the author of many books published by Duckworth, including The Greek Way of Life, The Greek Way of Death, The Piraeus, Introducing New Gods and The Eye of the Beholder. ROBERT GARLAND is Roy D. and Margaret B. Wooster Professor of the Classics at Colgate University. His research focuses on the social, religious, political, and cultural history of both Greece and Rome. He has written ten books and many articles in both academic and popular journals. His books include Introducing New Gods (2nd ed. 2008), Celebrity in the Ancient World (2006), Surviving Greek Tragedy (2004), Julius Caesar (2004), The Greek Way of Death (2nd ed. 2001), The Piraeus (2nd ed. 2001), The Greek Way of Life (1990), Religion and the Greeks (1994), and The Eye of the Beholder: Deformity and Disability in the Graeco-Roman World (1995). He has produced Greece and Rome: An Integrated History of the Ancient Mediterranean for The Teaching Company (2008), and has been a consultant and discussant for several television productions on the ancient world.