A Cultural History of Childhood and Family in Antiquity

Book excerpt: Childhood and families had a ubiquitous and central presence in the ancient world, but one which is often hidden from us. Underlying our understanding of childhood and the family in Antiquity are the key thinkers and writers of the period. Their ideas on children, growing up, and the stages of life have shaped thinking on these subjects right up to the present day. Focusing on the cultures of the Mediterranean from 800 BCE to 800 CE, A Cultural History of Childhood and Family in Antiquity covers the rise of democratic Athens, the Hellenistic World, and the evolution and transformation of the Roman Empire. As with all the volumes in the illustrated Cultural History of Childhood and Family set, this volume presents essays on family relations, community, economy, geography and environment, education, life cycle, the state, faith and religion, health and science, and world contexts.