The Paedagogus is best described as which of the following?

• A. Tutor who trains male children
• B. Senior Spartiate educator
• C. Greek teachers of philosophy
• D. Public speaker instructor

Answer: (A)

The Paedagogus refers to a household tutor and guardian whose main role is to guide a boy’s early education. He was usually a trusted slave or attendant assigned by the master to accompany the child to and from school, supervise daily behavior, and provide basic instruction and moral shaping. This position focuses on personal supervision and foundational training—discipline, manners, and elementary literacy—before the child meets formal teachers like a grammaticus. It isn’t about Spartan military education or philosophy teaching, and it isn’t a public-speaking instructor; rather, it’s the person who personally steers the boy’s initial learning and conduct in the household.