Method How to CTB in Ancient Rome

[Pluto]

If someone wished to willingly end their life within the borders of the Roman Empire, they were to apply to the Senate so that the Senate could judge whether their reasons for suicide were sound. If the reasons were considered sound, the person would be allowed to commit suicide. They would even be provided with hemlock, a highly poisonous plant, free of charge.

However, suicide was explicitly illegal for soldiers, slaves, and people accused of capital crimes. These suicides were forbidden because it was deemed they would cause damage to the state. (source)

Conclusion: this law is still in place, except that in modern times, we are all considered slaves and property of the state.

 

[Forever Sleep]

So true. Have you ever watched the 1976 BBC drama series 'I Claudius?'

This is from memory but I believe Claudius's grandmother Livia chose to take her own life because she became unhappy under the changes of rulership when Caligula was crowned emperor (as well as tired of old age.) It always struck me (even as a child) that she told Claudius to cut off one of her hands- afterwards of course! (To signify that the death had been a suicide- by her own 'hands.') I don't actually know if this was a common practice- I can't find much on it Googling it. Still- it seemed kind of refreshing- that maybe the Romans didn't have such a big deal with it- if it was something that was kind of advertised by mutilating the corpse.

Of course- it's only when you look in to it that you realise that there were only specific circumstances where it was viewed as a 'noble' thing to do:

'In general, in ancient Rome free men (but not slaves) could choose to commit suicide without problems. In fact suicide was praised for widows who followed their husbands after death, or had been raped (e.g., Lucretia), and for men who wanted to avoid dishonor or were becoming old (Minois 1999).'
From www.cambridge.org)

 

[Givenuponlife]

If someone wished to willingly end their life within the borders of the Roman Empire, they were to apply to the Senate so that the Senate could judge whether their reasons for suicide were sound. If the reasons were considered sound, the person would be allowed to commit suicide. They would even be provided with hemlock, a highly poisonous plant, free of charge.

However, suicide was explicitly illegal for soldiers, slaves, and people accused of capital crimes. These suicides were forbidden because it was deemed they would cause damage to the state. (source)

Conclusion: this law is still in place, except that in modern times, we are all considered slaves and property of the state.

A very interesting view. On a related note, I've read that elements stoicism (not the PC parts one hears of today) suicide was acceptable in certain circumstances.

 

[Spyware]

I'll add to this: no right to self-defense, no right to bear arms (except the US and probably the Balkans). In the past, only slaves had no such rights. Others could practice self-defense without risking penalty and could bear arms freely

Our ancestors sold their freedom, and now we're all modern day slaves

 

[Himalayan]

Rome was more honest and wise than today's shit. Mind blowing

 

[chocolatebar]

I remember reading about it on a book about the views on suicide in different cultures. I tried to recommend the book around here a few times, but I never paid attention to the name or to the author, so I can't find it anymore >_<

I find it so interesting that so many of our struggles in being listened, understood and accepted by others comes simply from our cultural setting, and yet, so many people talk about it as if it was something absolute.

 

[theboy]

Old School!

 

[HermitLonerGuy]

Nice, i wish governments these days would do this and assist us to ctb once we give our reasons.

 

[Rounded Apathy]

If someone wished to willingly end their life within the borders of the Roman Empire, they were to apply to the Senate so that the Senate could judge whether their reasons for suicide were sound. If the reasons were considered sound, the person would be allowed to commit suicide. They would even be provided with hemlock, a highly poisonous plant, free of charge.

However, suicide was explicitly illegal for soldiers, slaves, and people accused of capital crimes. These suicides were forbidden because it was deemed they would cause damage to the state. (source)

Conclusion: this law is still in place, except that in modern times, we are all considered slaves and property of the state.

Huh. With the time I've been spending off the site lately, I've actually been reading Seneca and Epictetus, both of whom talk plenty of suicide, especially the latter. The stoic view as I take it is fairly appealing to me and seems pretty reasonable: You're free to off yourself whenever you please, but go with conviction and don't hum and haw about it; don't do it for just any stupid-ass reason, and make sure your shit is in order beforehand. Maybe a view only in line with a fairly small proportion of the userbase here

Other thing of interest to note in their writing is how exceedingly similar their world was then, to ours, in certain ways. Notably about everybody being stupid and/or full of shit, and the same kind of both deep and trivial things being piss-offs. I still haven't been able to grasp the meat of the whole "all external circumstances are irrelevant in living a good (hu)man life" thing, especially when suicide is also espoused as justifiable...whatever, more learnings from which to pick the good and leave the unusable bits I guess.