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A child's life in ancient Rome varied greatly, depending on which type of family they were brought up in. Wealthy families had less problems with pregnancy, child birth and upbringing. This is similar to current society; those who have more financial opportunities also have a higher social status, better education and more tangible things. This results in a better life. Once a child is born, they are given a 8-9 day time frame where they are not named or celebrated, because of a high mortality rate in this time (Todman, 2007). After this time, the baby is celebrated and granted freedom. What is expected of him/her is dependant on the type of family he is born into type; for example, wealthy or poor. Girls and boys are also raised differently because they are destined to have different roles in life. Their upbringing prepares them for their future roles (Cantrella, 2003). For instance, girls learn from their mothers and are raised to emulate them. The same happens with boys and their fathers.

Pregnancy and birth

Midwife wrapping a new born baby in cloths

Pregnancy is recognized as three distinctive stages: conception, pica and labour. During ancient Roman times, people did not understand ovulation and how it worked in the female body. This made it difficult for women to conceive; led woman to rest in bed after conception in order to "preserve the seed" (Todman, 2007). The pica phase started approximately  40 days after the conception stage; when in pica, the women experienced nausea, dizziness and cravings for food including "Earth, Charcoal, trendrils of vine, unripe and acid fruit" (Todman, 2007). Labour and birth took place in the mother’s home. The woman was  placed in the seated position, or the woman was held from the back.

Midwives and Medical Care

Midwives or obstetricians were mainly woman, but if there was a complicated delivery or disease, men would also step in and proceed with the birth. The ideal midwife had to posses the follow characteristics; she had to be literate, have wits, a good memory, love her  work, be respectful, sound of mind, robust and have long slim fingers with short nails. They were freed woman whom came from a wealthy household. As midwives were smart woman, they were not only responsible for the initial birth of the child but they also decided if the child had difficulties at birth and it was worth putting effort and care into healing or if the life should be terminated. The midwife also was used to determine the child’s future dependent on whether the child  had a disorder, there was over population of a specific gender, there was a growth defect or the child was  unwanted. For more information on midwifery in general please see Women's medicine in antiquity

Medical care was a practice that focused heavily on folklore and religious and superstitious practices; medicine was also part of this practice but was not supported as much as religion.  (Todman, 2007). Herbs and plants were used as pain relief, drinks may have been sprinkled with powdered sow's dung, fat from a hyena or lion was used to induce labour for woman who were having difficulties with labour. They believed that if the food of the Hyena was placed on the right side of the woman, she would have an easy delivery, but the food on the left side caused death of either the baby or the mother.

During birth, oil was used for injection and lubrication, while warm water, sea sponges, pieces of wool and bandages were used for the baby.  A vaginal speculum with a handle and three blades, and blunt or sharp hooks for extracting the fetus in a difficult situation were the instruments used for labour and delivery.

Naming

Infants in ancient Rome were not named until days after they were born (females 8 days, males 9 days) due to a high infant mortality rate. On the 8th or 9th day a gathering would occur consisting of family and friends bearing gifts. Then a sacrifice would be made and the child would be named and given a bulla to identify him or her as freeborn. Moved from separate paragraph into a sub-section

Childhood stages

Birth

1 year: Anniculus (parents could apply for full Roman citizenship of the child)

1-5 years: Children’s only responsibility was to stay home with their parents (mother mainly), end of infant stage, and started school

5- 7 years: Children took on some responsibility including caring for animals, gathering household materials and general chores that were tailored to their ageoman

7-10 years: Children took on more responsibility and now if they broke a law they could be held responsible because  they were now seen as a "pre-teen" which they had a celebration for

10-14 years: Girls could get married at 12 years of age.  This allowed for their most fertile years to be used. Boys start working for their father and could marry at 14 years of age.

14-25 years: Men would get married around 25

Family

The Roman families relied on health, solidity, uprightness and self restrain between the members.  A marriage with these sorts of values was seen to be virtually perfect (Rawson, 1986). It is believed that a stable family could exist even for slaves and of recent slaves statues. Families consisted mainly of a large amount of children along with the mother and father; for a poor family the amount of children ranged from 2 - 4 and a rich family reached around 12 children.  The richer families could afford better medical care for the birthing process (Cantarella, 2003).

The mother’s main role within a family was to have children, then tend to them until the age of 5. Once they are believed to be out of the infancy stage, the children tend to the father’s needs and work that needs to be completed to around the house.

The children do not have responsibly until the age of 5.  Then  they are expected to complete household chores that are representative of their age. They also need to attend school at the same time. Childhood play consisted of soccer, war games for boys and  girls were mainly seen playing with dolls.

The father of the household was known as the person whom brought money into the house ; he had the paternal power over his wife and children (Rawson, 1986). Children (boys) would join their father at work after age 7 which is where they learned their fathers job (farmers, craftsmen, soilders) which they would take on once old enough.

Mother and her children playing outside of a temple

Grandparents did not play a large role within the family; they were seen mainly at functions such as birthday parties, funerals and marriages.

Life

Roman boys enjoyed playing ball games in the 2nd century AD. Roman children had different clothing from adults until they came of age or were married. Children’s education was normally practiced at home. When children were not being educated, their playtime consisted of a variety of toys such as rattles, dolls made of cloth, clay or wax, toy weapons, letter blocks, tops, balls and hoops made of sticks. Hoop rolling was a popular game that both boys and girls played outside. The game consists of rolling the hoop for the longest distance with out falling using a stick to push it instead of the children's hands. Dogs were also common pets that children played with. Roman children were not allowed to bathe in the Roman baths. Instead, they bathed at home.

Death and Burial

Due to disease, epidemics, and high mortality in the Roman world, children experienced death regularly. Children were very much a part of the funeral process when close family members passed away. There are no findings that suggest that children were not present during the required purification of the death a family member. They were also allowed to participate in Parentalia in February; this  was a time to visit the graves and remember the dead. Children were memorialized on tombstones; therefore, it shows that they were recognized as individuals when they died, though they had a better chance of being commemorated after surviving infancy. Child mortality rate was exceptionally high from infancy to age five. The main causes include birth, the first days of life are crucial due to living conditions, food supplies, water supply and disease. Older children were commemorated in the Roman religious tradition, but babies who were less than 40 days of age were usually buried instead of cremated. They were buried within the city walls under the house because they were considered not developed enough to negatively impact Roman religion. If they were more mature and further developed, they would be buried  outside of the walls. Babies were at very high risk of death during the first few days after birth or around four to six months. There was no formal mourning period for an infant less than 1 year of age. As children became older, their mourning period grew longer. When they reached 10 years of age, they had the same mourning period as an adult (10 months).

See Also

Women's medicine in antiquity

Demography of the Roman Empire

Roman funerary practices

Hoop rolling

Bibliography

Bennet, H. (1923). The Exposure of Infants in Ancient Rome. The Classical Journal, 18(6), 341–351. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/3288906?seq=2#metadata_info_tab_contents

This source will be used to add to the Pregnancy and Birth section. Information will be added to the section highlighting the mortality within childbirth. As the paterfamilias believed that they had absolute power over life and death to all the children born into the household. Including the rituals that are done when a child dies at birth, is born with a defect, or born unnatural.

And the laws that Romulus has implemented when he was in power concerning to families and children.

Cantarella, E. (2003). Fathers and Sones in Rome. The Classical Wold , 96(3), 281–298. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/4352762?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents

This source will be used to add information to the relationships section of the current page on Wikipedia. From reviewing pages 281- 298 the general information that is present describes the relationship of how a father teaches his son how to be a man, the laws, what is expected of him in the future and how to be the ideal figure for the family.

Later in the paper the relationship between a father and an adult daughter is highlighted and explained as their relationship may be an issue. As the father felt that he always had control over his daughter even once she has married and left the household.

Harlow, M. A. (2005). Growing up and Growing old in Ancient Rome. New York, NY: Taylor and Francis e-Library.

This book will be used to expand the childhood stages for both girls and boys, relationships, create a timeline highlighting the main stages that differ from boys and girls, and create a new section about getting old. The main sections within this book that I will be using are pages 54-65, 104, 117- 132. To make the page more organized I am going to take out the paragraph and substitute the information in a time line with new information as well.

Todman, D. (n.d.). Childbirth in Ancient Rome: From traditional folklore to obstetrics. Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 47(2). Retrieved from https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1479-828X.2007.00691.x

This source would be added to the Pregnancy and Child birth, and relationship section. Within the Pregnancy and Childbirth I am going to make the current information on midwives into a sub section and add medical care into it as I think it is important to isolate this information.

Within the relationship section I would make a section on females highlighting the roles they are supposed to be in from a young age, how they are raised differently than boys and the laws they are told to follow.

Eyben, Emiel (1993). Restless Youth in Ancient Rome. London: Routledge.

This source will be used to make a new section on the current page about Activities that children did to occupy time, play and later in life how their interests changed. The main sections of the book that I will be using are "The Leisure Activities of Youth/ The Emotional Life of the Young Roman" (pages 79-124, 196-223)

Organization will be implemented into each paragraph of the current page and some irrelevant information taken out.