INFANTICIDE IN THE ANCIENT WORLD

Infanticide in the Ancient World

Definition and Etymology

• Infanticide: Derived from Latin, where "cide" translates to "killer"; it refers specifically to the act of killing or murdering children.

• Suicide: The intentional act of ending one's own life; "sui" in Latin means "oneself".

• Homicide: The act of killing another human being; "homo" in Latin translates to "man".

• Filicide: The act of killing one's own child; it is derived from the Latin terms for son (filius) and daughter (filia).

Legal and Moral Context

• In ancient Rome, infanticide and the abandonment of newborns were commonplace practices accepted by society and not considered morally reprehensible.

• Romulus's Decree: In Roman mythology, Romulus, the founder of Rome, decreed that no child could be killed before reaching the age of three unless they were found to be deformed.

• Myth of Romulus and Remus: The story of the twins, who were abandoned at birth but survived thanks to a she-wolf, highlights the varying views on the value of infants.

• Influential Roman figures like Cicero and Seneca openly advocated for the performance of infanticide on deformed infants.

  • Cicero: Claimed in his work "On the Laws" that deformed infants should be killed to ensure societal health.

  • Seneca: Wrote about the natural course of conditions that led to the destruction of weak or abnormal children, promoting a harsh view on the preservation of the population.

Views from Philosophy

• Aristotle: Advocated for laws permitting the exposure of deformed infants, arguing that strict regulations on procreation were necessary for societal benefit.

  • In his work "Politics," he discusses protocols for how children should be treated from birth onward, emphasizing the need for societal oversight.

Customary Practices in Different Societies

• Sparta:

  • According to Plutarch's Accounts, newborns in Sparta underwent evaluation by a group of elders.

  • If determined healthy, they were allowed to live; if not, they were taken to the Apothetae, a cave designated for abandoning unwanted infants to die.

• Roman Practices:

  • Many abandoned children were subsequently adopted by infertile couples but often raised as slaves or employed for other utilitarian purposes within their new families.

  • The Catacombs of Rome contain numerous unmarked graves of infants, indicating the fate of many abandoned children.

  • Some graves bore inscriptions such as "adopted daughter of...", which signify the efforts of Christians in rescuing these abandoned infants.

The Christian Response

• Value of the Individual:

  • Early Christians diverged sharply from prevailing pagan views, emphasizing the inherent worth of each child as a unique creation of God.

  • Their actions included rescuing infants from refuse piles and caring for them, either until they passed or providing them with a dignified burial.

  • Notably, tombs within the catacombs demonstrate a significant number of child burials, indicating Christians’ commitment to honoring these lost lives.

  • Tertullian acknowledged the dedication of Christians to the collection and upbringing of abandoned infants, starkly contrasting with the common pagan customs at the time.

Key Points from the Catacombs

• A multitude of small tombs were discovered within the catacombs, with evidence suggesting that a substantial portion of these burials were children.

• Only a limited number of graves carried inscriptions, highlighting both the social neglect and the hidden lives of these often-forgotten children.