‘Cultural History of Youth in Antiquity’ amplifies unheard voices

A new volume edited by Professor of Ancient History at The University of Manchester Prof Dr Christian Laes gives a voice to young people who do not ordinarily feature widely in the history books.

A Cultural History of Youth in Antiquity, published by Bloomsbury, belongs to a series on the history of youth.

Young women, sub-elite young people and cultures that are often overlooked in history books are given a platform, and it is the first book volume ever to examine congenital, intellectual disability in the ancient world. 

The contributions cover the ancient Near East, Egypt, the Graeco-Roman world, ancient China, the rabbinic tradition, Byzantium, the Islamic world and the Middle Ages in the Latin West. 

“For too long, the ancient world has been studied somewhat in isolation to other periods of history,” said Prof Dr Laes. “The engaging and thought-provoking chapters combine careful textual analysis with attention to the material evidence and comparative perspectives, not the least those offered by disability history for recent periods in history.”