Children and Childhood in Classical Athens (Ancient Society and History) (Paperback)

~ (Author) "The child is father of the man, wrote Wordsworth..." (more)
Key Phrases: New Comedy, Greater Panathenaea, Peloponnesian War (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Mark Golden has produced a superb book, an important substantive and methodological contribution to the social history of ancient Athens and a model for comparable studies... That Golden raises empirical and methodological questions while at the same time significantly advancing study of this important subject is a tribute to the intellectual honesty and vitality of his book." -- American Historical Review

"This is not just a book of colourful description but one as well of vivid insight and lively debate -- a debate, moreover, that is refreshingly free of ideological polemic and informed by a keen eye for the personal implications behind any social trend and of the individual psychology underlying the collective picture... engaging and engrossing... a considerable achievement on the author's part." -- Journal of Hellenic Studies

"A very interesting book... Much of his reconstruction of the emotional life of the Athenian family rings true." -- Jasper Griffin, New York Review of Books

Product Description

"Mark Golden has produced a superb book, an important substantive and methodological contribution to the social history of ancient Athens and a model for comparable studies." -- American Historical Review

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press (February 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801846005
• ISBN-13: 978-0801846007
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,310,169 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Fine updated study of ancient Athenian childhood, June 1, 2008

By	Keen Reader - See all my reviews

Mark Golden's book puts the humanity back into our picture of Athenian childhood. He replaces the rather heartless image left us by earlier scholars (based on practices like the exposure of newborns, or the farming out of offspring to nurses) with a more nuanced and gentler one emphasising the natural affection within families, while giving due weight to the more ruthlessly pragmatic practices of the age. A few more illustrations might have been handy, but this is a well-written, well-researched and thought-provoking read.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Eminently readable, informative, September 21, 2001

By	Lois Huneycutt (Columbia, MO USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

My students have enjoyed this book over the years as an optional book in ancient history courses; it is the starting place for anyone interested in childhood or education in the period.