Menophila: a poetic description of genital ambiguity in Hellenistic literature.

Abstract

In Ancient Greece, up to the Classical Era, hermaphrodites were considered as “monstrous” beings and therefore they were socially marginalized or treated with cruelty. As the centuries past by, tolerance towards these people gradually increased and they often found a place in society. In this manuscript, a case of a female prostitute of the Hellenistic Era with genital ambiguity is presented. Based on textual evidence, a contemporary differential diagnosis is conducted, leading to a possible diagnosis of partial androgen insensitivity syndrome.