Tuesday 15 December

10 AM PST
1 PM EST
6 PM GMT
7 PM CET

With Dr. Eireann Marshall

The unique evidence provided by the Vesuvian towns enables us to get an idea of the lifecycles of women and men in the Roman world. The remains of the Herculaneum victims found in the warehouses along the Herculaneum shore, have given us some indication of the number of gestations women in the Roman period underwent, as they also give us rich clues about the childhood illnesses Roman children may have had. Comparative studies made of the bones of elites and slaves also suggest that growing up in Roman cities varied hugely, as the flattened bones of the latter suggest they were both overworked and undernourished.

The most precious evidence perhaps are those which give us glimpses into the lives of children, such as the spelling list found in the flat above the wine shop in Herculaneum’s Cardo IV. Evidence from tombs and inscriptions also provide indications of the kinds of marriages contracted in these towns, as well as indications of how powerful some women could become. Join the lecture to find out more about what it was like to grow up and grow old in the Roman world.