The 'cursus laborum' of Roman Women: Social and Medical Aspects of the Transition from Puberty to Motherhood

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Description

This book assesses a narrow but vital and so far understudied part of Roman women's lives: puberty, preparation for pregnancy, pregnancy and childbirth. Bringing together for the first time the material and textual sources for this key life stage, it describes the scientific, educational, medical and emotional aspects of the journey towards motherhood. The first half of the book considers the situation a Roman girl would find herself in when it came to preparing for children. Sources document the elementary sexual education offered at the time, and society's knowledge of reproductive health. We see how Roman women had recourse to medical advice, but also turned to religion and magic in their preparations for childbirth. The second half of the book follows the different stages of pregnancy and labour. As well as the often-documented examples of joyous expectation and realisation of progeny, there are also family tragedies - young girls dying prematurely, stillbirth, death in childbirth, and death during confinement. Finally, the book considers the social change that childbirth wrought on the mother, not just the new baby in many ways it was also a mother who was in the process of being conceived and brought into the world.

Reviews

By tying the medical and social together throughout the book, Tatarkiewicz above all demonstrates that motherhood was not one dimensional but interconnected. Her application of the intersection of medicine and society serves to open the door to exploring the many ways motherhood was integrated into Roman life. * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *

Author Bio

Anna Tatarkiewicz is Professor of History at the Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland.