The Greek Way of Life: From Conception to Old AgeThis engrossing book is the first investigation of the life cycle of the ancient Greeks from the moment of conception to the onset of old age. Robert Garland draws on a wealth of evidence, including Greek drama and poetry, philosophical works, historical texts, medical tracts, inscriptions, and vase painting. Garland seeks to establish not only what the ancient Greeks did at various ages, but how their social persona was shaped in the process of aging. He investigates their attitudes towards reproduction, contraception, sterility, abortion, childbirth, child-rearing, puberty, generational conflict, marriage and its dissolution, and euthanasia. Garland explores such questions as to what extent the age-classes identified by the Greeks conform to actual changes in human physical, cognitive, and emotional qualities, and the relationship of age-classification to sex and social class. The author also surveys varying systems of age-categorization in different Greek states and considers whether the function of age-categorization as a means of organizing Greek society evolved over time. "The Greek Way of Life" will appeal to anyone with an interest in the ancient world. -- From publisher's description. |
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abortion adult adulthood ancient Greece Arist Aristophanes Aristotle Artemis Athenian Athens Attic red-figure baby belief body boys bride ceremony child childbirth childhood claims constituted death deities delivery depicting Eileithyia elderly embryo ephebic ephęboi ephors Euripides evidence exposure Eyben fact father female foetus fourth century gerontes Gerousia girls giving birth goddess Greece Greek society Greek world hębę Herakles Herodotos Herophilos Hesiod Hippokratic Hippolytos Homer honour human husband indicate infant instance intercourse kouros labour lived male marriage married menarche midwife military mother myth neoi newborn nurse Odysseus offspring oikos old age pais parents parthenos period phratry physical Plato Plutarch pollution pregnancy probably Ps.-Arist puberty reference regarded rites ritual role sanctuary seed sexual slaves social Sophokles Soranos Soranos Gyn Spartan sperm status suggests Superfetation Telemachos theory uterus wet-nurse whereas wife woman womb women young youth Zeus