This thesis tells the history of the Roman Catholic Church on the islands of Hispaniola (the Dominican Republic) and Cuba as it establishes itself as an institution. The thesis traces the history of abortion as the measuring stick for the sociopolitical influence of Catholicism on the islands. Beginning with the earliest Christian reactions towards abortion, the thesis makes the connection between church-state relations from ancient Rome up to the dictators Rafael Trujillo and Fidel Castro.
I intend to examine ancient Greek views on abortion, evidenced by critical political, philosophical, and medical figures of the day, shaped by mythology and playwrights, and illustrated through surviving academic texts and popular literature. With reference to the original works of Hippocrates, Plato, and Aristotle, among others, and through the synthesis and analysis of modern scholars, such as Konstantinos Kapparis, John Riddle, and Ludwig Edelstein, I aim to present an in-depth examination of the complex framework that shaped ancient Greek views on abortion which continue to resonate so strongly in the contemporary debate.
