At the edge of the words. Representation of the social and economic fragility of Childhood in Byzantine Hagiographic and Patristic Sources

The aim of paper is to present an initial, absolutely provi sional, assessment of the legal regulation of what, in modern terminology, we have called ‘child labour’. The point of view is that of the legal historian, but in an interdisciplinary per spective it can also assume relevance in the medical sphere, as it allows us to better focus on certain aspects, referring in par ticular to the conditions of psycho-physical stress of children and adolescents engaged in work activities, which can then be reflected in bio-archaeological analyses. More precisely, the aim of this paper is to submit to scholars working on these themes the proposal to extend research to a hitherto unexam ined sphere that, on the basis of the testimonies of the ancient sources, we can define as ‘work for the gods’, meticulously regulated by law.