The antiquity of poliomyelitis is disputed, since only inconclusive evidence has been adduced for the Ancient World so far.1 A ca 480 bc Attic peliké vase imported into Etruria (ancient Central Italy) depicting the mythical rendezvous between Heracles and Geras (figure, A) shows the latter (figure, B), the personification of Old Age, helping himself with a stick. The high degree of realism of this artwork, emerging in this historical period, allows one to identify extensive lower limb muscular atrophy and an unnatural eye-catching kyphoscoliotic spinal deformity. While previously considered—prudently yet perhaps too hurriedly—but a depiction of senile emaciation and pulmonary emphysema,2 the characteristically vivid clinical association leads us to hypothesize that Geras' anatomical features are compatible with those of a polio survivor exhibiting the incapacitating and long-term outcomes of the spinal form of paralytic poliomyelitis.
(A) Red figure Attic peliké from Tomb 432 of the Banditaccia Necropolis (Cerveteri, ancient Etruria, Lazio Region, Italy). Inv. No.: 48238 MiBAC. National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia (Rome). Photographs by Mauro Benedetti. (B) Detail of Geras shows the high degree of spinal deformity and muscular atrophy.
Author contributions
E. Varotto: concept creation, data acquisition, main writing. V. Nizzo: critical revision of the manuscript. F.M. Galassi: study design, data processing, writing, study supervision.
Study funding
No targeted funding reported.
Disclosure
The authors report no disclosures relevant to the manuscript. Go to Neurology.org/N for full disclosures.
Footnotes
Go to Neurology.org/N for full disclosures. Funding information and disclosures deemed relevant by the authors, if any, are provided at the end of the article.
- © 2019 American Academy of Neurology
Disputes & Debates: Rapid online correspondence
REQUIREMENTS
If you are uploading a letter concerning an article:
You must have updated your disclosures within six months: http://submit.neurology.org
Your co-authors must send a completed Publishing Agreement Form to Neurology Staff (not necessary for the lead/corresponding author as the form below will suffice) before you upload your comment.
If you are responding to a comment that was written about an article you originally authored:
You (and co-authors) do not need to fill out forms or check disclosures as author forms are still valid
and apply to letter.
Submission specifications:
- Submissions must be < 200 words with < 5 references. Reference 1 must be the article on which you are commenting.
- Submissions should not have more than 5 authors. (Exception: original author replies can include all original authors of the article)
- Submit only on articles published within 6 months of issue date.
- Do not be redundant. Read any comments already posted on the article prior to submission.
- Submitted comments are subject to editing and editor review prior to posting.