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Daniel T. Kline wrote: Misconception: > > That parents in the middle ages didn't love their children or that medieval > people didn't have any conception of childhood, a la Aries. Aries and Le Goff have a lot to answer for on that one. It is obvious Aries is grinding an axe. He mercilessly misrepresents and misuses the evidence for Roman and Medieval attitudes to children. And he is very good at ignoring anything that doesn't support his argument. My real question is, what is he trying to prove? Why does he want to show that parents did not love their children until the modern period? I have one suspicion, that it relates to Le Goff's ideas about the fundamental change represented by the French Revolution. But I haven't read enough other material by Aries to see if this is a trend in his other work. Does anyone have any other suggestions on what he was up to? -- Dr. Ronald A. Ross School of History and Welsh History University of Wales (Bangor) Siliwen Road Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales. LL57 2DG Telephone 01248-382154 E-mail [log in to unmask] %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%