paedonomus

PAEDO´NOMUS(παιδονόμος) was a magistrate at Sparta (and in some other Doric states) who had the general superintendence of the education of boys, which in Doric states was concerned with little else besides bodily training [LUDUS LITTERARIUSp. 94]. His office was honourable; the appointment by election. He had control over the discipline and moral conduct of the boys, at Sparta after the age of 7; he inspected them and punished those who were negligent or disobedient. For this purpose μαστιγοφόροι were assigned to him by Lycurgus. The more immediate inspection of the gymnastic exercises belonged to magistrates called βιδιαῖοι or βιδέοι [BIDIAEI]. In Crete also we find παιδονόμοι (Strabo, 10. p. 483; Schömann, Antiq. p. 303), but boys there did not come completely under their control till the age of 17. At Teos (see inscriptions in Gilbert, Staatsalterth. 2.338), the παιδονόμος shared with the γυμνασίαρχος the charge of education. (Xen. Rep. Lac. 2.2, 3.10, 4.6; Plut. Lyc. 17; Krause, Gymnastik u. Agon. pp. 254, 677; Gilbert, op. cit. 1.67.)

(παιδονόμος). At Sparta, the overseer of the education of the young. See education.