Abstract

Although infants and children are highly valued members of modern day society, this attitude towards infants and children has not always been as so. With a focus on Classical Rome, this paper entails a comprehensive review of how children and
infants were valued in the Roman Antiquity. From a human evolutionary biologist perspective, this paper reviews existing
literature regarding this topic and looks to further explore the behaviors and values from a biological anthropology focus.
In re-examining Classical Roman value of infants and children through this lens, a different light will be shed on how certain practices may have occurred and why this is important. This results in a better understanding of what Classical Roman traditions and practices implicated in terms of health and longevity. Furthermore, this can be compared to how modern societal values and norms as to show what may have been beneficial, or more in cases, detrimental to health. An intersection between classical studies and human evolutionary biology, this paper evaluates the health of mostly infants and children and the implications of such evidence. This crucial time period that can dictate the direction a society is
heading or is shaped around can offer a different glimpse at what Classical Roman society was like.