1. Roman Naming and Childhood

2. Birth in Ancient Rome Midwives delivered babies at home
After birth the child was laid at the father’s feet, if the father lifted the child he recognized it as his own

3. What happened to babies whom fathers did not accept?
They were exposed in a public place
Street
Forum
Market
Woods
They were drowned
Infanticide was legal until 374 AD
They were sold into slavery

4. Why were babies not accepted?
Questions of legitimacy of child?- Whose the daddy?
Too poor to raise child
Deformed
Girls were less desirable than boys- no archaeological evidence to support this

5. Patria Potestas “Fatherly power”
Control over all of children whether married or unmarried
Power over life and death
Right to expose newborn infants or to kill, disown, or sell a child into slavery

6. Life Expectancy
Average life expectancy at birth in Ancient Rome- 25 years old
Average life expectancy in the US- 76 years old
Roman infant mortality was very high, ca % (vs. less than 1% in the US)
40% of all children died before their 1st birthday
35% of the children who reached their 1st birthday died before their 7th birthday

7. Did Patres really kill their own children?
Probably not since the chance of a child making it to the age of 7 was unlikely

8. DIES LUSTRICUS “Day of purification” on which a baby is named
Celebration of infant living over a week
Ceremony is called- lustratio
for boys- occurs on 7th day after birth
for girls- occurs on 9th day after birth
Child was presented with bulla and crepundia

9. Bulla
Locket made of gold or other precious metal for the rich, leather for the poor
Contained charms to ward off the evil spirits
Good luck charm
Represents childhood
Boys no longer wear bulla after assuming toga virilis (manly toga)- ca. age 14-18
Girls no longer wear bulla after marriage- as early as age 12

10. Bulla Continued

11. Crepundia
Tiny metal trinkets strung around the babies neck presented as gifts by the guests at the lustratio
Like a rattle

12. What’ s in a name? Praenomen- personal name, first name,
very few praenomina existed- ca. 18
used at home amongst family
Nomen- Name of tribe
Cognomen- Name of specific family of a tribe
Only Roman citizens had tria nomina(3 names)

13. Boys’ Names
Eldest boy received the same praenomen, nomen, and cognomen as his father
Other male children received the same nomen and cognomen as their father, their praenomen might be taken from a famous male relative from their mother’s side or to honor someone

14. Girls’ Names Girls only had 1 name
Girls were named the feminine from of their father’s nomen
Exempla: Iulius- Iulia, Marcus- Marca, Caecilius- Caecilia
All daughters of one family received the same name- they were distinguished by adding prima (first), secunda (second), tertia (third), etc. to their name. The eldest received the epithet prima, the second oldest secunda, etc.

15. Girls’ Names Continued 1
To distinguish between the daughters of 2 brothers (who would have the same nomen and therefore their daughters would have the same name) the daughters were referred to as ___________ the daughter of ___________

16. Girls’ Names Continued 2
Exemplum: 2 brothers named Lucius Iunius Brutus and Marcus Iunius Brutus
Each have daughters named Iunia
If the girls were together to distinguish between them Lucius’ daughter would be called Iunia the daughter of Lucius and Marcus’ daughter would be called Iunia the daughter of Marcus

17. Stages of Childhood Infantia(Baby Stage): > 1 year
Tollere (lifting of baby by father)
Dies lustricus
Suggrundaria- burial of a baby who had not lived over 60 days within the house
birth to 60 days old- babies are swaddled
after 60 days- babies are no longer swaddled

18. Stages of Life Childhood Continued
Septuennis(Young Child Stage): 1 to 7 years old
Pueritia(Older Child Stage: 7 to 14 years old
Adolescentia(Adolescence): 14 to 28 years old
29 and over- Adulthood
If you could live to your 7th birthday, you had a pretty good chance of living a relatively long life.