Illustration
Marble plaque depicting a 'parturition', or birthing scene, excavated in Ostia, Italy, c. 400 BCE to 300 CE.
Such scenes eased the fears of expectant mothers by depicting positive birthing images. During this time, midwives were female. Men were not present at births unless a doctor was required in the case of a high-status mother. Here, a woman reclines on a couch covered in drapes, attended by three women. They are dressed in classical Roman robes and one is holding the baby.
Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection, Science Museum Group Collection, London.
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Cite This Work
APA Style
London, T. B. o. T. o. t. S. M. (2024, April 02). Roman Marble Plaque Showing a Birth Scene. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/18722/roman-marble-plaque-showing-a-birth-scene/
Chicago Style
London, The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum,. "Roman Marble Plaque Showing a Birth Scene." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified April 02, 2024. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/18722/roman-marble-plaque-showing-a-birth-scene/.
MLA Style
London, The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum,. "Roman Marble Plaque Showing a Birth Scene." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 02 Apr 2024. Web. 22 Feb 2025.
