Story First recorded suicide in history: Empedocles (432 B.C.E.)

[Nature_is_God]

Life and work:
Born around 493 B.C. in Agrigentum, Sicily, Empedocles was known most famously as a poet and a pre-Socratic philosopher. Empedocles believed that the universe is based on the two opposing forces of love and strife, which combine to form matter and shape the four elements of earth, air, fire, and water. He also believed in a form of reincarnation and that death was a transformation (may have influenced his suicide).

Death:
It's believed that Empedocles threw himself into the Sicilian volcano Mount Etna (new CTB method? Probably not), making this the first recorded suicide in history.



Many believed that Empedocles used such an unusual method of death to convince people he had vanished into thin air and became an immortal god (however, the volcano spit out one of his sandals, proving otherwise).

 

[Brick In The Wall]

View attachment 41687

Life and work:
Born around 493 B.C. in Agrigentum, Sicily, Empedocles was known most famously as a poet and a pre-Socratic philosopher. Empedocles believed that the universe based on the two opposing forces of love and strife, which combine to form matter and shape the four elements of earth, air, fire, and water. He also believed in a form of reincarnation and that death was a transformation (may have influenced his suicide).

Death:
It's believed that Empedocles threw himself into the Sicilian volcano Mount Etna (new CTB method? Probably not), making this the first recorded suicide in history.

View attachment 41688

Many believed that Empedocles used such an unusual method of death to convince people he had vanished into thin air and became an immortal god (however, the volcano spit out one of his sandals, proving otherwise).

Interesting read thank you for sharing! I laughed so hard at the last part about his sandal being spit back out. For the supposed first recorded suicide he sure set the bar high for the rest of us

 

[Shinkansen]

I guess burning alive in a volcano is a painful method of suicide.

 

[stillweary]

Yeah... that seems like a pretty horrible way to go.

 

[VIBRITANNIA]

interesting... i can't help but wonder what his last thoughts were.

 

[nerve]

I wish he was here to start a Mount Etna Resources Megathread

 

[Nature_is_God]

I wish he was here to start a Mount Etna Resources Megathread

Probably would've said get drunk off of a large quantity of wine (or whatever they called it in Ancient Greece) and cannon ball.

 

[Wayfaerer]

I HIGHLY doubt that actually happened.

 

[Nature_is_God]

I HIGHLY doubt that actually happened.

Possibly, records weren't that sharp 2000+ years ago.

 

[Wayfaerer]

Possibly, records weren't that sharp 2000+ years ago.

I think it was only intended as a story. Would've been really cool if it were true and even if not, it still kind of is.

 

[BPD Barbie]

I wish he was here to start a Mount Etna Resources Megathread

I laughed out loud at this

 

[RedDEE]

interesting... i can't help but wonder what his last thoughts were.

Probably "Ouch, ow, hot! Where did my sandal go?"