ABSTRACT
Chapter 9 brings together all the information which demonstrates how Athenian society provided financial assistance, protection and care for its weakest members who were unable to look after themselves. I argue that, to its credit, the Athenian Democracy developed principles of welfare and protection for those in need and found ways to make sure that even its poorest citizens would have access to public life and all the splendid festivals and cultural events which the city had to offer. Section 9.2 focuses on the laws protecting legal minors from abuse and discusses how these laws were implemented in the complex web of Athenian family life. Section 9.3 offers a brief account of the measures which the Athenian state took to protect and support disabled persons, while the next section discusses how the state encouraged and forced families to take care of their elderly members. Section 9.5 outlines how the state supported its poorest citizens with measures intended to boost their income and save them from destitution, while it averted socio-economic upheavals. The final section explores the Athenian health care system, the rudimentary public health care system as well as the private health care, and the interactions between health professionals and the law.
