Portrayals of children became increasingly common in Greek literature and art during the Hellenistic period. It has long been thought that the reasons for this lie in the alienation of the Greeks as a result of the collapse of the polis and its structures, which was then compensated for by a concentration on private subjects. A review of recent research by classical scholars, archaeologists, Egyptologists and ancient historians reveals that this view must be revised. It is not sentimental love of children that speaks in the Greek paintings and texts: rather, they are a result of the clear dynastic interests of Hellenistic ruling houses. An exception is the figure of the small Eros, which must be regarded separately.

Sabine Schlegelmilch, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg.