Children, Memory, and Family Identity in Roman Culture

Investigations into the daily life of Roman families show that children were key actors in the process of the construction of social memory: they were the pivotal point of the transmission of family tradition and values in both elite and non-elite families. This collection of essays draws together the perspectives of various disciplines to provide a multifaceted picture of the Roman family based on a wide range of evidence drawn from the 1st century BCE to LateAntiquity and the Christian period. The contributors define the notion of memory, discuss the role of children in the transmission of social memory and social identities, and also deal with threats to familial memory, in the cases of children deliberately or accidentally excluded from tradition, longbelieved to be invisible, such as those born at home to slaves, or outcast because of illness or their unusual status, for example as the offspring of an incestuous relationship.

This is an interesting, generally well-edited book that extends our knowledge of the Roman family and children's roles within it. The essays explore the ways in which actual practice could differ from the normative familial model. ... Those interested in ancient family life will profit from reading them.

Veronique Dasen is Professor of Classical Archaeology, University of Fribourg Thomas Spath is Professor of Ancient Cultures and Constructions of Antiquity, University of Bern