The abuse of aged parents in the ancient Roman world

Abstract

This article focuses on the limited evidence that exists for domestic abuse and violence against older individuals in the Roman world, in particular directed against parents by their offspring. Literary and legal testimony is considered, along with some discussion of skeletal evidence, and particular instances from Roman Egypt are also presented. The article considers questions of gender in this context, and also discusses the way that the evidence typically presents only one side of the picture, a side that may be distorted intentionally or mistakenly by the alleged victim.