Branded Bodies

This article investigates how the emotion of shame was theorized in ancient Greece. After a discussion of the conceptualization of shame in modern times in the first part of the article, in the second part I will analyse its theorization in antiquity more specifically. I will argue that the visual component of shame, which is crucial in our modern understanding, also played a prominent role in ancient Greek theories. More precisely, shame was experienced and manifested predominantly through the skin. Alterations in complexion were conceived as the visible representation of the feeling of shame, which stigmatizes the sufferers. Likewise, the resulting itch and its obsessive nature were employed to represent mental disturbance caused by shame. Interestingly for our purpose here, shame in antiquity was a gendered emotion: different behaviours were considered shameful for men and women. By reconsidering the conceptualization of shame in ancient Greece in light of modern psychological theories, this article will contribute to demonstrating how the use of psychological and neuroscientific studies can provide new interpretations of ancient sources on shame, with particular regard to its metaphorical source domains concerning the body.