The Historical Reception of Intellectual Developmental Disabilities (IDD) in Egypt

By Katherine Locker

Egypt’s history with intellectual developmental disabilities is something that dates  back to the ancient world. The historical reception of this topic dates back to ancient times,  especially in the Context of Ancient Religions and gods. While IDD is a more modern  concept and terminology, this does not mean that it did not exist in ancient times.¹ Disabilities  such as Cerebral Palsy, Dwarfism, and Clubfoot were likely prevalent in the ancient world  and have been noted in historical texts, depictions of gods, and the study of mummies.² This  article will focus on the different kinds of physical and developmental disabilities throughout  the ancient world, with some notes on how the societal perception of disabilities in Ancient  Egypt has influenced modern perceptions, especially in the museum industry. In Ancient  Egypt, it is often believed that disabilities were accepted and, at times, even honored as part of society and culture.³ According to Ead, Hamed, “The Egyptians believed that the gods  could bestow physical differences and disabilities as divine attributes and that people with  disabilities were not cursed for their sins.”⁴ This is a vast difference from the ways in which  individuals born with disabilities were ostracized in both Ancient Greece and Rome. In those two ancient societies, it was often considered normal to leave

infants born with disabilities out in the woods or throw them into the Tiber River.⁵ 

The perception of developmental and congenital disabilities throughout the Ancient  worlds of Egypt, Rome, and Greece was at times vastly different and at other times similar.  From an increased concept of infanticide and mocking of the disabled, to the honor and  acceptance that those born with disabilities were just that, different. This difference in  perception and understanding of the disabled body may stem from their religious beliefs at  the time. For example, the Ancient Greeks and Romans believed in many gods; among the  twelve Olympians, those born of Kronos and/or born of the god Zeus and holding seats on the  council of the gods, only one was differently abled. Born with what is now assumed to be a  clubbed foot, Hephaestus was the only god whom we know to have been born with a  disability, was cast out from Olympus by his mother, and was made the butt of the joke  during meetings.⁶ Disability and Deformity has been studied by Nicole Kelly, who discusses  

the different ways in which the Greeks and Romans responded to birth defects, and while  intellectual disability is never directly discussed it is assumed that a similar reaction would  have taken place, their reaction to gods being disabled or even individuals becoming blind,  and thus prophets of the ancient world, is a reflection of their attitudes towards disability in  the ancient world. Kelly is a historian who mentions Cerebral Palsy and its connection to  disability and the perception of developmental disabilities in the ancient world.⁷ She  mentions in the chapter the similarity of club foot and how, at times, Disability and  Deformity are one and the same. Kelly discusses how Cerebral Palsy (otherwise known as  CP) can often cause bone deformations as the muscles tighten, leading to bone turning or  motor challenges. The similarities between the two disabilities are another reflection of the  culture and of how the Romans or Greeks may have perceived these deformities, especially if  the individual was from a high-class family. CP is often considered to have been very  common in the Ancient World, especially with the disability’s similarities to Polio.⁸It is often  a topic of discussion whether Claudius may have had this intellectual disability rather than Polio, as was assumed for a period of time. Barbara Levick’s Claudius examines the  symptoms he was said to have exhibited in historical texts, as reported by different Ancient  Scholars.⁹ The Roman perception of disability also influenced how Claudius was accepted  into society, as he was considered a fool by his own mother, a similarity to the story of  Hephaestus.¹⁰ Thus, indicating that developmental disabilities and disabilities in general were  often not accepted by Ancient Roman and Greek societies.¹¹ 

Ancient Egyptians had gods with both dwarfism and potentially Cerebral Palsy. An  example of this is the way the Egyptian god Harpocrates is viewed by the disabled academic,  Alexandra Morris, who researched and analyzed the various ways Harpocrates was depicted. While there is a bias to her observations, there is a clarity in how the Egyptian God may have  Cerebral Palsy, and provides evidence to the societal perception of disability, honoring a god  which is often seen leaning against objects, knees bent inwards, showcasing an almost  pigeon-toed stance, and other depictions which would lead one to see the symptoms of Palsy  in the god.¹² One example of intellectual disability in the ancient world is Cerebral Palsy (an  intellectual disability that often affects the motor cortex and is caused by damage to the brain  at or around the time of birth). Alexandra Morris observes in her article the different ways in  which Cerebral Palsy is depicted in the Egyptian Deity Harpocrates. Because of her own  connection to the disability, she related to the differing ways the god was depicted: walking,  crawling, or even standing. Relating the art and the depictions to that of the lived experience  with Cerebral Palsy.¹³ Such as the use and artistic representation of walkers, seen in a token  of Harpocrates and in a description of what Hephaestus had created as one of his inventions.¹⁴ 

From the time of Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Individuals with disabilities have been  stigmatized and cast out from their societies or ridiculed and made to be the fool. From  Hephaestus to Claudius, the outlier of this stereotype is Harpocrates, a deity that, for all  intents and purposes, provides some evidence that the Ancient Egyptians had at one point  honored and even respected individuals with disabilities, viewing them not as something to  look down upon but something to appreciate, as they perceived these differences as the will  of the gods. And not, as the Romans and Greeks believed, something to be ashamed of. There  has been a slight shift in the reception of disabilities, and the ways how they have historically  been perceived has impacted Egypt in the modern period. Connected explicitly to  accessibility in the museum industry. In an article by Nevine Zakaria the fact that “in recent  years, Egypt’s national museums have experienced significant changes in their social roles to  support the inclusion of disabled people with disabilities

through several programs”¹⁵ and by  “…incorporating disability representation from ancient Egyptian history in their exhibitions  and programs, which is currently lacking, can contribute to expanding their societal  responsibilities and reshaping public attitudes towards disability, challenging societal  stereotyping and prejudice in contemporary Egyptian society.”¹⁶ The way in which society  views disability in the modern age is not that different from how people viewed those with  physical and intellectual disabilities in ancient times.  

Sources

¹ Draycott, J. (2015) Reconstructing the lived experience of Disability in antiquity: a case study from Roman  Egypt, Greece and Rome. (University of Glasgow) 3 

² Morris, A. (2025), Disability in Ptolemaic Egypt and the Hellenistic World (Routledge) 85  ³Ibid 88 

⁴ Hamed, E. (2024) Historical Perspectives on Disabilities in Egypt: Attitudes and Policies, (Athens Journal of  Mediterranean Studies)122.  

⁵Ibid 125 

⁶ Kelly, N. (2007) Deformity and Disability in Greece and Rome, in This Abled Body Rethinking Disabilities in  Biblical Studies, (Society of Biblical Literature) 31-45

⁷ Kelly, N. (2007) Deformity and Disability in This Abled Body: Rethinking Disabilities in Biblical Studies. (Society of Biblical Literature Atlanta)  

⁸ Levick, B. (1990). Claudius, (Yale University Press) 13 

⁹ Levick, B. (1990). Claudius, (Yale University Press) 11-20 

¹⁰ Levick, B. (1990). Claudius, 13 

¹¹ Kelly, N. (2007) Deformity and Disability. (Society of Biblical Literature Atlanta) 44 ¹² Morris, A. (2025), Disability in Ptolemaic Egypt and the Hellenistic World, 90-91 

¹³ Morris, A. (2025), 94 

¹⁴ Morris. A (2025), 86

¹⁵ Zakaria, Nevine. (2024) Unveiling Hidden Histories: Disability in Ancient Egypt and Its impact on Today’s  society- How can Disability Representation in Museums Challenge Societal Prejudice? (Social Sciences 13)  647. 26 

¹⁶ Ibid