I would like to know records regarding child abuse during the ancient Greek and Roman times.

-- K C (copperk@bethelcollege.edu), November 15, 2003

Answers

If you are referring to the Greek practice of boys' first sexual experiences often being with an older man and mentor, I would be very careful of throwing around the term "abuse" so casually. It is very hard for us to know exactly what the nature of those relationship were but, in any case, they occurred under very different historical circumstances, assumptions, and understandings than ours. (Consider, just for instance, that far more social humiliation might have resulted from a boy's being *unable* to attract such a partner than from having one.) There is an enormous literature on this topic, but you might want to start with K.J. Dover's classic monograph, _Greek Homosexuality_ (1978).

-- Christopher Green (christo@yorku.ca), November 15, 2003.

You might check some of the writings of Lloyd De Mause who wrote a Social History of Childhood and related articles in History of Childhood Quarterly. Other books on child abuse may also include historical literature reviews. You migh check some encyclopedias of psychology. The story of Oedipus Rex, for example, in which the child is left out to die, is probably based on actual practices. De Maus has written more about this than has anyone else of whom I know.

-- Hendrika Vande Kemp (hendrika@earthlink.net), November 16, 2003.