ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the relationship between very familiar themes in world history and the topic of childhood: first, the impact of civilization, including comparisons among different civilizations; and second, the results of further changes within the major civilizations, particularly associated with the spread of deeper religious commitments. The classical civilizations did not embrace all the world's territory they did not for example reach into Russia, Scandinavia, or sub-Saharan Africa but they did increasingly tie large regions together, most notably in China, in the Indian subcontinent, and in the Mediterranean. Confucianism and Chinese political institutions, particularly as these solidified during the Qin and Han dynasties, left a particular mark, clearly tying childhood to broader features of the society. Nevertheless, the power of the basic agricultural model of childhood shines through as well. The artistic styles developed in Greece and Rome, with their commitment to delineating individual features, spilled over into representations of childhood.
