Challenged People

(Bosch, the Ship of Fools)

In the ancient and medieval worlds, many more people were physically and mentally challenged than there are in the United States, or practically anywhere, today. There were no operations to fix club feet, or cleft palates, or heart murmurs. There were no antidepressants or antipsychotics for people who heard voices, or any hospitals for them to go to. When people broke bones or dislocated shoulders, they often were not set right and healed wrong, so that you lost the use of your arm or leg. When children didn't get enough milk, they got rickets and their legs would be weak and bent, so they couldn't walk well. Eye infections, with no antibiotics, often left people blind in one or both eyes. Ear infections often left people deaf. And even if you were only near-sighted, there were no glasses to help you see.

People's attitudes toward physically and mentally challenged people were also very different then. A lot of people thought that some kinds of physical or mental differences brought you closer to the gods. Blind people, especially blind children, were often thought to know what the gods (or what God) wanted. Epileptics were also thought to be close to the gods. People who heard voices, like Joan of Arc, often became important religious leaders. Many challenged people supported their families by prophecy.

On the other hand, differences that you could see, like bent legs or club feet, sometimes people thought these meant that the gods didn't like you. The Greeks, especially, thought that the gods liked bodies to be perfect. Because of this, sometimes people exposed their babies if their bodies weren't just right, and sometimes people were cruel to these children as they were growing up.

Main people page
Ancient medicine page
Oracles
Teachers' guides on people

Educating children is a tough job – let Kidipede make education easier with free online homework help. Homeschooling? Kidipede will also fit right into your homeschool material. And Kidipede’s great for unschoolers, who can surf independently. With Kidipede’s homework or homeschool material, education can be fun instead of a chore!

Teachers - check out our social studies lesson plans for middle school ancient history! Kidipede covers Egyptian Art, the Middle Ages, Ancient Rome, Native Americans and much more. Instant museum in your classroom.

Parents and grandparents – find the perfect gift for your middle school kid in Kidipede’s store! Kidipede has history books and other educational gifts for kids, from Halloween costumes to CD’s and DVD’s to art supplies. Now that’s good parenting! Pay securely through Amazon.

Teens – Kidipede has the best homework help around. Find out about ancient Greek music, medieval clothing fashions, and Native American technology trends. What was trendy clothing in ancient China? Who were the most popular girls in ancient Rome? How did teens decorate their rooms in ancient India?