ABSTRACT
It has been exciting to find a clear, unmistakable imprint of the child’s power and uniqueness in the beautiful passages of literature from the ancient societies of the Mediterranean. Beginning in the 12th century and continuing through the 17th century, a renewed awareness of the unique qualities of childhood appeared in art, literature, and religion. Further development of various portrayals from earlier periods can be seen; and to the images of innocence and depravity, the Protestant Reformation and the Catholic Counter-Reformation added the notion that the child was possessed of a small soul that required careful nurture. Fortunately, there now exists a substantial and respectable corpus of historical study on childhood from medieval times to our own. Due in large part to the chaotic conditions of the early medieval period, children were treated much as adults.
