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Reblogged by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
HeavenlyPossum@kolektiva.social wrote:
Perhaps you have heard (or even believe) some or all of the elements of the following story about the past:
"Life in the past was crude and hard. People could not afford mercy or charity. People in primitive societies would leave the sick and weak behind to die, and even the ancient Greeks killed disabled infants through exposure."
I have frequently encountered this set of ideas, in various permutations. It shows up all over the internet in popular historical accounts:
"Infanticide was a disturbingly common act in the ancient world, but in Sparta this practice was organized and managed by the state. All Spartan infants were brought before a council of inspectors and examined for physical defects, and those who weren't up to standards were left to die...If a Spartan baby was judged to be unfit for its future duty as a soldier, it was most likely abandoned on a nearby hillside. Left alone, the child would either die of exposure or be rescued and adopted by strangers."It is also quite wrong.
https://www.history.com/news/8-reasons-it-wasnt-easy-being-spartan
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