/lit/ - Literature

I've noticed that older cultures used to view children as inferior human beings until they came of age and proved themselves to be proper adults. This stands in a stark contrast to our current paradigm in which the child is essentially a symbol of the ultimate purity; it can do no wrong and it's innocense borders almost to a form of saintlineness.

Is there anyone who manages to go into depth when it comes to this topic? I'm especially interested in books that examine the ancient views on children.