Daily Life through World History in Primary Documents Daily Life through World History in Primary Documents Lawrence Morris, General Editor Volume 1:The Ancient World David Matz Volume 2:The Middle Ages and Renaissance Lawrence Morris Volume 3:The Modern World David M. Borgmeyer and Rebecca Ayako Bennette 1 THE ANCIENT WORLD Daily Life through World History in Primary Documents Lawrence Morris General Editor David Matz VOLUME EDITOR GREENWOOD PRESS Westport, Connecticut • London Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Daily life through world history in primary documents / Lawrence Morris, general editor. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN: 978 – 0 –313–33898– 4 (set : alk. paper) ISBN: 978 – 0 –313–33899–1 (v. 1 : alk. paper) ISBN: 978 – 0 –313–33900 – 4 (v. 2 : alk. paper) ISBN: 978 – 0 –313–33901–1 (v. 3 : alk. paper) 1. Civilization—History—Sources. 2. Manners and customs— History—Sources. 3. Social history—Sources. I. Morris, Lawrence, 1972– CB69.D35 2009 909—dc22 2008008925 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available. Copyright © 2009 by Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, by any process or technique, without the express written consent of the publisher. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2008008925 ISBN: 978–0–313–33898–4 (set) 978–0–313–33899–1 (vol. 1) 978–0–313–33900–4 (vol. 2) 978–0–313–33901–1 (vol. 3) First published in 2009 Greenwood Press, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881 An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. www.greenwood.com Printed in the United States of America The paper used in this book complies with the Permanent Paper Standard issued by the National Information Standards Organization (Z39.48–1984). 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Every reasonable effort has been made to trace the owners of copyrighted materials in this book, but in some instances this has proven impossible. The author and publisher will be glad to receive information leading to more complete acknowledgments in subsequent printings of the book and in the meantime extend their apologies for any omissions. To my family This page intentionally left blank CONTENTS Set Introduction xxi Set Acknowledgments xxv Chronology xxvii PART I HISTORICAL OVERVIEW SUMERIA 1 CHINA 1 INDIA 3 EGYPT 4 ISRAEL 5 GREECE 6 ROME 9 PART II DOMESTIC LIFE FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS 14 Sumeria 15 1. Selections from the Code of Hammurabi 15 Israel 16 2. Jewish Laws on Marriage and Families 16 China 18 3. Raising Families in Ancient China 18 India 19 4. Women, Men, and Marriage in Ancient India 19 Egypt 20 5. Vizier Ptah-hotep’s Advice on Family Life 20 6. Egyptian Marriage and Family Customs 21 vii Contents Greece 22 7. Solon Reforms the Domestic Laws of Athens 22 8. Socrates’s Version of Marital Bliss 23 9. Unusual Marriage Customs in Sparta 24 10. Why So Many Guests Are Invited to Wedding Receptions 25 Rome 26 11. Parenthood in Ancient Rome 26 12. A Good Father’s Responsibilities 27 13. A Comparison of Spartan and Roman Marriage and Family Customs 28 14. On Living With, and Without, Matrimony 29 OLD AGE AND RETIREMENT 30 India 31 15. Getting Old Is Not for the Faint-Hearted 31 Egypt 31 16. The Downside of Old Age 31 17. No Way to Treat One’s Father! 32 18. No Way to Treat an Old Man! 33 Greece 33 19. A Spry Old Gentleman 33 20. How to Grow Old Gracefully 34 21. A Nonagenarian Shows Off His Intellect to Win His Court Case 35 22. Another Spry Nonagenarian 35 23. Near-Sighted Old People 36 24. Rude Athenians, Courteous Spartans 37 25. The Old Men Strike Back 38 Rome 39 26. An Ideal Retirement 39 27. The Right Time for an Orator to Retire 40 28. Old Age Does Not Automatically Equate to a Loss of Vitality 41 TRAVEL 42 Egypt 43 29. A Roman Tourist Is Coming! 43 Greece 43 30. Plato Suggests Travel Restrictions 43 31. Watch Out for the Wagon-Rollers! 44 32. Making a Pilgrimage to Olympia 44 Rome 45 33. A Trip Down the Appian Way 45 viii Contents 34. Pliny Reports to Trajan on His Journey to Bithynia 47 35. Trajan’s Reply to Pliny 48 36. Pliny’s Response to Trajan 48 37. You Should Let Them Take You on a Sea Cruise 48 MAKING A LIVING 48 Egypt 49 38. Be a Scribe! 49 39. Yes, by All Means Be a Scribe! 50 40. Farmers and Craft Workers in Ancient Egypt 53 Greece 54 41. The Farmer’s Long Day . . . and Year 54 42. An Unrivaled Public Works Program 56 Rome 56 43. Cicero on the Joys of Farming 56 44. Cicero on Other, Less Joyful Occupations 57 45. There’s Gold in Those Hills! 58 PART III ECONOMIC LIFE URBAN LIFE 60 China 60 1. Life with the Tax Man 60 India 61 2. Indian Urban Life 61 3. Description of Indian Cities 62 Egypt 62 4. The Wonders of Alexandria 62 Greece 64 5. The Well-Planned City 64 6. Hippodamus: Planner of Cities 65 Rome 66 7. The Founding of Rome 66 8. Big-City Blues 66 9. A Mansion Fit for a . . . Human Being! 69 10. The Extent of Rome (Part I) 70 11. The Extent of Rome (Part II) 70 RURAL LIFE 71 India 72 12. The Success of Indian Agriculture 72 ix