Childhood in Ancient Athens

Childhood in Ancient Athens offers an in-depth study of children during the heyday of the Athenian city state, thereby illuminating a significant social group largely ignored by most ancient and modern authors alike. It concentrates not only on the child's own experience, but also examines the perceptions of children and childhood by Athenian society. The study covers the juvenile life course from birth and infancy through early and later childhood, and treats these life stages according to the topics of nurture, play, education, work, cult and ritual, and death.

Lesley Beaumont is Senior Lecturer in Classical Archaeology in the Department of Archaeology at the University of Sydney, and was formerly the Assistant Director of the British School at Athens.

Part 1: Introduction, definitions and methodology 1. Framing the Context 2. Athenian Definitions of Children & Childhood, and the Iconography of Age Part 2: The Juvenile Life Course 3. Birth & Infancy 4. The Developing Child 5. Conclusion