ΠΑΙΔΟΚΤΟΝΙΑ

Definition

According to the Liddell-Scott-Jones Lexicon, paedoktonia (παιδοκτονία, ἡ) is defined as "the killing of a child, infanticide." It is a compound noun derived from "παῖς" (child) and "κτείνω" (to kill), describing an act with profound ethical, social, and psychological implications. The word is not frequently found in classical legal texts, as the act, though present, was often met with silence or viewed as an extreme expression of despair or vengeance.

Paedoktonia, as a concept, gains particular prominence in ancient Greek tragedy, where it emerges as a paramount theme of moral and existential conflict. The most emblematic example is Euripides' «Medea», in which the heroine, driven by rage and a desire for revenge, murders her own children. This dramatic portrayal established paedoktonia as a symbol of extreme human fallibility and the disruption of the sacred bonds of motherhood and family.

Beyond its mythological and dramatic dimension, paedoktonia also reflects certain social practices, such as the exposure of unwanted infants, although exposure differed legally and ethically from direct killing. The word, however, denotes the active and deliberate taking of a life, bearing the stigma of hubris and impiety towards nature and the gods.

Main Meanings

1. The act of child-killing — The literal and primary meaning: the deliberate taking of a child's life.
2. Crime against family and society — Paedoktonia as a violation of sacred kinship bonds and social order, often with religious implications of hubris.
3. Theme in ancient Greek tragedy — The dramatic depiction of paedoktonia as a supreme act of revenge or despair, notably in Euripides' «Medea».
4. Symbol of extreme human degradation — Paedoktonia as a moral fall that transcends the boundaries of human nature and ethics.
5. Act of impiety towards the gods — In the ancient context, the killing of innocents was often considered an act provoking divine wrath.
6. Extreme expression of despair or vengeance — Paedoktonia as a last resort in situations of unbearable pain, injustice, or desire for retribution.

Word Family

paid- (root of παῖς, meaning "child") and kton- (root of κτείνω, meaning "to kill")

The word family of paedoktonia is a composite construction uniting two ancient and fundamental Greek roots: "paid-" referring to the child, and "kton-" denoting the act of killing. The root "paid-" derives from the noun "παῖς," which, though of uncertain ultimate origin, is extremely ancient in the Greek language and forms the basis for concepts related to upbringing and youth. The root "kton-" derives from the verb "κτείνω," also of Ancient Greek provenance, which expresses the act of murder. The coexistence of these two roots in a single word underscores the horror and immorality of the act, as it combines innocence with destruction.

In Ancient Texts

Euripides' «Medea» remains the seminal literary work addressing paedoktonia, revealing the profound depth of the tragedy.

The 18 Methods

Applying the 18 traditional lexarithmic methods to the word ΠΑΙΔΟΚΤΟΝΙΑ:

Sources & Bibliography

• Liddell, H. G., Scott, R., Jones, H. S. — A Greek-English Lexicon, with a revised supplement. Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1996.
• Euripides — Medea. Translated by Rex Warner. Penguin Classics, 1963.
• Plato — Republic. Translated by G. M. A. Grube, revised by C. D. C. Reeve. Hackett Publishing Company, 1992.
• Aristotle — Politics. Translated by H. Rackham. Loeb Classical Library, Harvard University Press, 1932.
• Dodds, E. R. — The Greeks and the Irrational. University of California Press, Berkeley, 1951.
• Loraux, Nicole — Tragic Ways of Killing a Woman. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1987.
• Vernant, Jean-Pierre — Myth and Tragedy in Ancient Greece. Zone Books, New York, 1988.