Supervisors info:
Χατζηλάμπρου Ροζαλία(Επόπτρια), Αναπληρώτρια Καθηγήτρια Κλασικής Φιλολογίας, Ε.Κ.Π.Α
Κάρλα Γραμματική, Αναπληρώτρια Καθηγήτρια Κλασικής Φιλολογίας, Ε.Κ.Π.Α
Μπάζου Αθηνά, Επίκουρη Καθηγήτρια Κλασικής Φιλολογίας, Ε.Κ.Π.Α
Summary:
This paper deals with fifteen cases of people, or groups of people, who for different reasons chose to commit suicide. The grouping of the cases was carried out with the main criteria being the emotion that led to the decision. Most cases of suicide are associated with three main emotions: shame, honor and fear. However, one case is analyzed, which was due to madness. However, it is common for more than one emotion to motivate suicide. The categorizations on the basis of which the cases are analyzed show similarities with contemporary research on suicide. Emphasis is placed on how the individual or group of individuals choose to commit suicide, the reason and the emotion that led to the decision. In addition, the historicity of suicide is studied, i.e. whether other historical sources confirm the suicide, or whether there are other versions of the act. There are cases where the doubts concern either the historicity of the person or the possibility of the suicide. Finally, the importance of the place of the suicide is analyzed in some cases, as it seems to have special significance.
The introductory chapter analyses the vocabulary that was used for suicide, as well as the use of the word "suicide" and its derivatives in Herodotus. As our study is based on categorizations, both in the separation of cases and in their analysis, it seems appropriate to present a presentation of the different categorizations. The first surviving categorizations come from Plato and Aristotle, who divide suicides into acceptable and unacceptable ones. The first major research on suicide comes from Emile Dirkem (1897), who makes a basic division of suicide into four categories: egoistic, altruistic, inauthentic, and fatalistic. Finally, modern categorizations are given, starting with the work of Menninger (1937), who divides suicide into: chronic, 'central', organic, and the work of Hoof (1990), who divides suicides according to motive, mode and reason.
No book or article appears that specifically covers the topic of suicide in the Herodotus’ work. However, there are some important works. A key study is Van Anton Hoof's (1990) From autothanasia to suicide: self-killing in classical antiquity. The book thoroughly analyses the way, the reason and the emotion that led the person to commit suicide. Another important work is Garrison's (1991) Attitudes toward Suicide in Ancient Greece. Garrison reports through specific texts the view of the ancients on suicide.
Keywords:
Suicide, categorisation, Émile Durkheim, Herodotus, shame, fear, honor, madness
