CHILD PSYCHOLOGY IN THE ANCIENT WORLD: QUINTILIAN AND AUGUSTINE ON KINDERGARTEN EDUCATION

Abstract

Quintilian, as the first publicly remunerated teacher of rhetoric at Rome, occupies a unique place in the history of Classical education. His remuneration (a thousand gold pieces per annum) set a standard few Latin teachers have subsequently achieved. That is, however, not his chief claim to fame. His handbook on education, the Institutio Oratoria, in twelve books, is a model of thoroughness, treating of every topic, from the child's earliest learning experiences! to what may be considered a complete syllabus for a combined liberal university course in the humanities and sciences. It is also a handbook on good teacher-pupil relationships, parent-teacher interaction and educational ethics. It touches on all aspects of teacher conduct, even the most suitable age at which a sensible man would retire.