8/12/2019 Children in Antiquit1

1/9

Julia Henderson

Art 395Salowey

Children in Antiquity

The Oxford English Ditionary defines hildhood as !the state or stage of life of a

hild" the ti#e during whih one is a hild" the ti#e fro# $irth to %u$erty&' (n anient

)reee to $e a hild #eant $e on the fringes of soiety' *oys attained %u$erty at age

eighteen" girls+ howe,er+ were ne,er allowed to ahie,e %u$erty' -hen dee#ed old

enough to #arry+ a fe#ale.s status hanged fro# that of %u%il+ to teaher of her own

daughters' ( ha,e used three different as%ets of anient life to hel% define the li,es of

hildren' ( ha,e tried to $oth outline and analy/e the ati,ities in whih hildren were

allowed to %arta0e and gi,e e,idene of their daily li,es' The li,es of hildren are

ex%lained and ex%lored inside their fa#ily struture+ within religious %raties+ and in

their treat#ent $y the state'

-hen $orn into an Athenian household the %hysial at of $irth was not enough to

render one a #e#$er of the fa#ily' After the $irth of a hild the father had the ulti#ate

%ower o,er whether it was to li,e or die1' (f the father would not ae%t the hild into the

household+ usually $eause of soial %reedene+ the hild was a$andoned in an at

referred to as ex%osure+ or egxutristriai' (n the Athenian agora exa,ations re#ains of

hildren ha,e $een found in %ots throw down well2shafts' H' *ol0stein in an artile for

Classical Philologywrites a$out ourrenes of ex%osure of hildren in anient )reee'

The artile states that e,idene %oints to the fat that #ore fe#ale hildren were left to

die fro# ex%osure rather than #ale' (t was #ore ae%ta$le to ha,e a #ale hild within

thepolis, or )ree0 ity2state+ than it was a fe#ale'

1)olden 5*ol0stein

8/12/2019 Children in Antiquit1

2/9

Julia Henderson

Art 395Salowey

After the $irth and ae%tane of the hild into the household the door of the

ho#e was deorated with either a wreath of wool for a fe#ale+ or a wreath of oli,e for a

#ale hild3' A na#ing ere#ony too0 %lae either on the sa#e day as the $irth or a few

days later' The na#ing of a hild was an inredi$ly i#%ortant %roess' The hild.s na#e

usually had to do with the %arents. %olitial standing+ or referred to %ersonal

harateristis of the $a$y' 4a#es would also $e used to indiate fa#ily ,alues and

o##unity standing' So#e o##on $oys na#es were Hegesistratus ar#y leader6+ or

Didy#us twins6' )irls. na#es were usually 7ust the fe#inine ,ersion of $oys. na#es'

)irls. na#es ould also $e gra##atially di#inuti,e suh as the no#enlature

Eu%hrosyne+ whih #eans ha%%iness' 4a#es that defined e#otions+ suh as 7oy or

ha%%iness+ de%ersonali/ed and o$7etified wo#en8' ife for hildren started out $eing

defined $y the ,iews and assoiations of their %arents' Just li0e our #odern day na#ing

rituals+ fa#ilies in antiquity defined their hildren.s li,es fro# the #o#ent they were

$orn'

Children li,ed within the household until they reahed hebe+ or %u$erty'Hebeis

#ore o##only used to refer to the onset of %u$erty for $oys+ around the age of

fourteen5' :e#ale hildren li,ed and wor0ed within the ho#e of their $irth fa#ily until

they reahed the age of #arriage' There are #ulti%le de%itions of fe#ale daughters as

are gi,ers to the other hildren of the household' fig'16 This Athenian ,ase %ainting

de%its young girls aring for s#aller hildren in this swing sene;' This sene #ay also

$e a re%resentation of ult %ratie at the ult festi,al day 0nown as Choes'

3)olden 388255 useu#

1;

8/12/2019 Children in Antiquit1

7/9

Julia Henderson

Art 395Salowey

:ig 2 A fa#ily sarifies a shee% to Asle%ius' Athens+ 4ational Arhaeologial

>useu# 18?='

8/12/2019 Children in Antiquit1

8/9

Julia Henderson

Art 395Salowey

:ig 32 Older girls #ind s#all hildren while they swing+ Stuttgart+ -urtte#$ergishes

andes#useu# ;51

8/12/2019 Children in Antiquit1

9/9

Julia Henderson

Art 395Salowey

-or0s Cited

*ol0estein+H' !The Ex%osure of Children at Athens and the egxutristriai'& Classial

hilology 1='3196239

!Childhood' !The Oxford English Ditionary' Online ed'

:ree#an+Fathleen' !Co%%er :ly&' )reee G o#e ;'1;193;6 1ar0' Childhood in Classial Athens' *alti#ore The Johns Ho%0ins Ini,ersityress+199?'

Hart+ 4eils+ and John H' Oa0ley+ Co#ing of Age in Anient )reee (#ages of

Childhood fro# the Classial ast' 4ew Ha,en+ @ale Ini,ersity ress+ ??3'