The family in Roman Egypt : a comparative approach to intergenerational solidarity and conflict / Sabine R. Huebner.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Huebner, Sabine R., 1976-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Families--Rome.

Families.

Rome--Social conditions.

Rome.

Rome (Empire).

Social conditions.

Rome--Social life and customs.

Manners and customs.

Rome--Civilization.

Civilization.

Social history.

Physical Description:

xi, 262 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2013.

Summary:

"This study captures the dynamics of the everyday family life of the common people in Roman Egypt, a social strata that constituted the vast majority of any pre-modern society but rarely figures in ancient sources or in modern scholarship. The documentary papyri and, above all, the private letters and the census returns provide us with a wealth of information on these people not available for any other region of the ancient Mediterranean. The book discusses such things as family composition and household size and the differences between urban and rural families, exploring what can be ascribed to cultural patterns, economic considerations and/or individual preferences by setting the family in Roman Egypt into context with other pre-modern societies where families adopted such strategies to deal with similar exigencies of their daily lives"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Machine generated contents note: Preface; 1. Intergenerational solidarity and family support networks in cross-cultural perspective; 2. Household structures, marriage patterns and inheritance strategies; 3. Balancing benefits and obligations

parents and children over the life course; 4. Widowhood, remarriage and residence patterns; 5. Growing old in the household; 6. The patriarchal household and the incoming daughter-in-law; 7. Childless old age

the worst of all fates?; 8. Conclusions.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781107011137

1107011132

OCLC:

816316991

Online:

Contributor biographical information

Cover image

Publisher description