Narodiť sa nestačí. Percepcia najmenších detí v antike v kontexte vybraných písomných a archeologických prameňov

Abstract

The paper deals with the issue of perception of the youngest children in ancient society in the context of selected written and archaeological sources in the wider territory of ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. The nature of historical sources and their fragmentation greatly complicate their interpretation. In this respect, archaeological sources also do not offer a clear answer as they show a high variability in the treatment of the remains of the youngest children. Nevertheless, the paper seeks to oppose the entirely negative perception of children widespread in the scientific literature that discusses mainly the works of philosophers, in which the youngest children are presented as lower beings similar to animals. Manifestations of parental love are documented primarily by private correspondence concerning the death of children, and also recorded on epigraphic monuments, in literary works and mythological stories. From the archaeological perspective, regular graves of the youngest children testify to the existence of care and love of the parents, whose manifestations, however, were subject to social norms.