Despite the growing emphasis in current scholarship on children in Roman culture, there has been a notable absence of focused research on the role and significance of infants and very young children within families and societies. “Infancy and Earliest Childhood in the Roman World: ‘A Fragment of Time'” by Maureen Carroll fills this gap with its first comprehensive study of infancy and earliest childhood throughout the entire Roman Empire, from the fourth century BC to the third century AD. This volume integrates social and cultural history with archaeological evidence, funerary remains, material culture, and iconography to explore how historical circumstances influenced the lives of infants and prevailing attitudes toward them.

By examining a variety of evidence drawn from across the Roman world, Carroll contextualizes the rhetoric about earliest childhood in Roman texts and uncovers socio-cultural developments in parent-child relationships over this period. The book presents a fresh perspective on archaeological and historical debates, refuting the notion that high infant mortality rates led Romans to disengage with their children or treat them indifferently. Instead, it concludes that infants were socially and gendered entities from their earliest moments, possessing personhood and value within society.

The volume covers 336 pages and offers a detailed exploration of infancy in the Roman world, making it an essential read for historians, archaeologists, and scholars interested in ancient childhood studies. Its comprehensive approach ensures that readers gain a thorough understanding of how infants were perceived and valued throughout the vast expanse of the Roman Empire.