Suffering in childbirth. Ancient ways to augment labour and reduce pain

Abstract

This text focus on some ways to reduce pain and augment labor in ancient Roman times. While midwives and physicians had virtually very few options for speeding up labor and reduce its pains, and often employed them in a very intuitive way, advice regarding these matters, as presented by the sources, shows that they were not insensitive to the sufferings of women. In the extant sources, in addition to advice from specialists, we can also find home remedies, as well as prayers for easing the suffering experienced by women at that exceptional moment.