Parenting in Late Antique Society (Based on the Writings of Ausonius)

The article explores the autobiography of the 4th-century poet Ausonius, as well as the issue of the relationships between parents and children, and between spouses. The views of the rhetorician on family values, parental responsibilities towards children, child-rearing and education, as well as their social status, are analyzed in the article. The author concludes that Ausonius considered the life path of a person as a sequence of stages, each of which includes unique challenges and difficulties. Assessing the role of the family in formation of personality, he notes that the upbringing and education of children required direct involvement and attention from the parents.