Infirmity in antiquity and the middle ages: social and cultural approaches to health, weakness and care

This volume discusses infirmitas ('infirmity' or 'weakness') in ancient and medieval societies.

It concentrates on the cultural, social and domestic aspects of physical and mental illness, impairment and health but also examines frailty as a more abstract, cultural construct, seeking to widen our understanding of how physical and mental well-being and weakness were understood and constructed in the longue durée from antiquity to the Middle Ages.

Written by experts from a variety of disciplines, including archaeology, art history and philology, it pays particular attention to the differences of experience due to gender, age and social status.