THE FAMILY IN CLASSICAL GREECE

Cornell University Press. Very Good. 1984. Softcover. 0801492742 . Faint crease to front wrap. Minor shelfwear. ; Aspects of Greek and Roman Life; 342 pages; In this well-researched and coherent introduction to family life in classical Greece, Mr Lacey explains the structure of the family, the social and economic pressures that affected it, and the complicated legal measures that were devised to regulate and protect it. Even though the family has always been a fundamental institution in Greek society, this is the first study in English devoted to it. This book deals in detail with the family in the archaic and classical ages -- the great era of the city-states. It was during this period that a close and complex relationship existed between the family and the city-state. Each city-state was, in fact, the sum total of the households contained in it, and each household resembled a miniature kingdom, with its own gods and lands, and the head of the house exercised almost royal powers over his children. So powerful and close-knit was the family group that it was regarded by politicians and philosophers, including Plato and Aristotle, as damaging to their ideals of personal detachment and public service, and even as a menace to the unity of the state. Mr Lacey supports his views of family life by quoting and discussing relevant writings of the Greek philosophers and by citing contemporary literature, especially the comedies. He analyzes also the valuable evidence supplied by inscriptions, vase paintings, sculpture, terracottas, and coins, many of which are presented in black-and-white photographs. From ancient times until today, the most pervasive force in Greek life has been the family. This study of its influence in classical Greece makes possible a better understanding of greek history, literature, and art. .