[Unknowing]

Public Law of Rome, Table IV: Rights of fathers

1. A dreadfully deformed child shall be quickly killed.

Yikes.

[ffusco]

Consider that they had only rudimentary medicine, no anti-biotics or incubators. Infant mortality rates were high and children weren't even named until they were 9 days old. This type of thing still occurs today, even our pioneers had to make these tough choices. An unwanted child was often adopted if healthy. A child born 10 months after a fathers death also had no claim to family property.

I find it somewhat more humane and practical. As oppossed to our culture which would let a vegetable survive on life support when no chance of recovery is possible or refuse to let a person die with dignity.