Le statut des mères dans l’Athènes classique

The study of Athenian law is useful to portray mothers as a subject of rights : the Athenian state protects his widows, epikleroi and older people. The Pericles law on citizenship puts mothers at the heart of legitimacy and so do all dokimasiai. The maternal womb is moreover important to understand the limits of the Athenian prohibiton of incest. The duties of Attic mothers are more difficult to grasp, even about trophe. Finally, trials from Classical Athens provide some maternal figures, mostly widows, who seem to control the economical and juridical situations