"Embodiment and Body Knowledge in the Ancient World": A presentation by Daniel H. Garrison February 18, 2009

For the ancient Greeks, existence and embodiment where virtually indistinguishable, and closely linked to knowledge. These linkages are found at the level where language operated. Special embodiments, like that of the Sirens and Centaurs, implied special knowledge. Greek medicine, though constrained by a taboo that prevented exploration of the body's interior, distinguished itself by an emphasis upon knowledge that set the stage for mainstream medicine worldwide.

Daniel H. Garrison is a professor of Classics at Northwestern University. His latest work is On the Fabric of the Human Body, a complete four volume translation with commentary of the anatomical atlas published by Andreas Vesalius in 1543, making one of the most influential medical works of all time available for free online with the ability to interact with the text and the illustrations.

Official Website: http://www.ias.umn.edu/symposiumcal.php