General remarks on the issue of suicide in antiquity versus modern times

Abstract

The article presented various examples of suicides committed in ancient times, as well as its assessment – outlined in accordance to contemporary politics, culture, ethics and philosophy. Despite the fact that opinions about it were different, the most important role of suicide was to prove one’s honour, dignity and value of undertaken decisions. Among the reasons, which made an individual end their own life, it is necessary to mention e.g. devotio – one’s own sacrifice in order to ensure victory over enemies; taedium vitae – tiredness of physical and mental pain in old age, and desperata salus – the lack of rescue options. Moreover, ancient literature provided numerous cases when individuals committed suicide in the face of insult or failure. It was common among soldiers to end their own life instead of being captured or killed by their enemies. Thanks to the analysis of the chosen ancient authors’ texts (e.g. Livy, Florus, Tacitus) it was possible to evaluate the cultural background and interpretation of the examples. A strong emphasis was put on a comparison of ancient suicide with modern one.