And the children shall lead: Harpocrates, Harpocratis, and cerebral palsy

Harpocrates was a Greek-Egyptian god who came to prominence in the Ptolemaic period. He had many roles including representative of the newborn sun, protector of mothers and children, and more importantly for this study, also a healing deity. He is described by the ancient historian Plutarch as being born prematurely with “lame legs.” A close examination of artefacts and artwork from the ancient Egypt reveals that Harpocrates most likely was artistically depicted as having cerebral palsy. A further examination of these artefacts helps illuminate other representations and the lives of disabled people from this time period as well as further illuminates the Egyptians’ worldview and religious beliefs. Disability was incorporated into the religions of both the ancient Egyptians and ancient Greeks. It was seen and accepted as a part of everyday life. This chapter also demonstrates how a lived understanding of the physical embodiment of this impairment has aided in its identification in ancient art.