Coming of Age in Ancient Greece: Images of Childhood from the Classical Past

This is one of the rare books that genuinely helps to make a real connection to a very different place and time. There are some aspects of childhood that we all remember; we can find those aspects in the images and artifacts presented in this book. There are also elements of childhood that are unique to a particular culture; again, we can discover and learn to understand the aspects of childhood in ancient Greece that provide a wonderful window into their society. Another great strength of this book is the way it focuses on what is visual. You'll spend your time with the authors poring over dozens of intriguing, sometimes amazing, sometimes very moving images created by the ancient Greeks themselves. For most of us, there is a great language barrier between their world and ours, but the visual evidence presented here, along with the very skillful and insightful guidance provided by the authors, goes a long way toward solving that problem. I think my favorite image in the book, and one that demonstrates the approach the authors take, is the beautiful photograph of a small terracotta sculpture of a mother teaching her daughter how to cook. On the one hand, the image conveyed by the sculpture itself is immediate. On the other, as soon as you start to take a closer look, with the help of the text, question after question after fascinating question comes into your mind. The book doesn't have all the answers--no one does!-- but it has the insights necessary to orient you to the sculpture and set your mind racing. By and large, the book avoids academic-ese. Sometimes it doesn't; referring to a woman giving birth as a "parturient" instead of "a woman giving birth" is one example. Sometimes the logic slips; one essay says that "all the texts" were written by men, and then proceeds to examine several texts written by women. Oh, well.... Can't win 'em all, can we? The book is beautifully produced and printed. It's a pleasure to handle. In particular, the photography is excellent almost everywhere. If you admire fine craftsmanship, it's a pleasure just to study so many examples of fine pottery, even without thinking about the meanings the pots convey. You'll read other books for an intellectual appreciation of Greek history, politics, art, and so forth. This book wil give you a wonderful gut feel for how they really lived, felt and experienced the world.

The book provides a complete discussion of childhood images from the Classical Period with ample illustrations. The discussion of the significance of childhood images is also covered in detail. Alan Safani