The behavioural and emotional reaction of the Romans to infant mortality
This thesis examines the behavioural and emotional response of the Romans, at both the societal and individual level, to the death of a child in infancy during the period c.200 BC-AD 235. Part A discusses the extent to which Roman parents were indifferent to the welfare of infant children. Variations in parental concern and treatment are accepted, but an examination of the evidence shows that the attitudinal and behavioural patterns of the Romans were in general child-oriented. Part B explores the specific theme of the response to the loss of a child in infancy within the context of the popular view that the Romans were unaffected by infant death. The study of infant burial practices, funerary rites and afterlife beliefs reveals that at the societal level there was no expectation that Roman parents should be thorough in the treatment of infants in death. However, the archaeological evidence demonstrates that a number of parents were burying their infants in the same manner as adults and older children. The principal hypothesis of this thesis that Roman parents could have grieved emotionally for the loss of an infant is complicated by difficulties in the literary and epigraphic sources. These problems are recognised
King, Margaret
The behavioural and emotional reaction of the Romans to infant mortality. This thesis examines the behavioural and emotional response of the Romans, at both the societal and individual level, to the death of a child in infancy during the period c.200 BC-AD 235. Part A discusses the extent to which Roman parents were indifferent to the welfare of infant children. Variations in parental concern and treatment are accepted, but an examination of the evidence shows that the attitudinal and behavioural patterns of the Romans were in general child-oriented. Part B explores the specific theme of the response to the loss of a child in infancy within the context of the popular view that the Romans were unaffected by infant death. The study of infant burial practices, funerary rites and afterlife beliefs reveals that at the societal level there was no expectation that Roman parents should be thorough in the treatment of infants in death. However, the archaeological evidence demonstrates that a number of parents were burying their infants in the same manner as adults and older children. The principal hypothesis of this thesis that Roman parents could have grieved emotionally for the loss of an infant is complicated by difficulties in the literary and epigraphic sources. These problems are recognised
behavioural emotional reaction romans infant_mortality examines behavioural emotional_response romans societal individual level death child infancy period part_discuss extent roman parent indifferent welfare infant child variations parental concern_treatment accept examination evidence show attitudinal behavioural pattern romans general child oriented part_explore specific theme response loss child infancy within_context popular view romans unaffected infant death study infant burial_practice funerary_rite afterlife beliefs reveals societal level expectation roman parent thorough treatment infant death however archaeological_evidence demonstrate number parent bury infant manner adult old_child principal hypothesis roman parent could loss infant complicate difficulty literary_epigraphic source problem recognise