CLASSICS 2K03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 20: Gynaecology, Favorinus, Contubernium
2 Feb 2016
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Major sources for slaves: conquest, self-sale (debt-slavery), slave reproduction (house born slaves), exposure. Slaves fulfilled a number of positions (eg. bankers, accountants, bakers, hairdressers, etc. ) Either freelance or owned by a household (same was true for male doctors) Well-trained slaves who had training in gynaecology and obstetrics. Females since roman females didn"t feel comfortable with baring their bodies around male doctors. Tomb of scribonia: woman birthing with a midwife and an attendant. Midwife was responsible for the child"s first bath. Most households owned a female slave who could serve as a wet-nurse: she had to have given birth and be capable of feeding the child. Primary caregiver for the first 2 years. Mother uninvolved in the early infancy of the child. Responsibilities: feeding, swaddling, comforting baby, playing games, telling stories, slept in child"s room. Some (for example, favorinus) believed that the bond between wet-nurses and their charges had a negative impact on parent-child relationships.
