Discussion Suicide in ancient times. idk if to put it in discussion or methods

[tormentedhusk]

How did they do it back then? How was it viewed?

 

[Life'sA6itch]

I would guess very painful methods like stabbing or slashing oneself or eating or drinking whatever item in those times known to cause illness or death. Perhaps drowning would have been a choice or going into caves where others had previously died (from high concentrations of deadly gases) even if they didn't know why people died there. Maybe some of them jumped from high natural features such as cliffs or tall man-made structures as well. A fall or jump into a volcano for example would have also been known to be deadly in ancient times. Even in ancient times there were various concoctions that would also bring about death. However, maybe not with the speed or certainty of some possibilities of today.

 

[Bblconsumer]

Well suicide mostly depends on where they were, poisoning was huge, people like Socrates (while not voluntary) was forced to drink hemlock to die.

But views wise it also depended, people were forced into it ala Socrates, but there was a Philosopher who's ideas is said to of caused a string of suicides because he said that pleasure never could truly stay, and his works were banned.

But promortalism is everywhere throughout time and this is a Western primarily Greco account.

 

[Forever Sleep]

I'm going from TV drama here, so it might not be too accurate. Suicide in Roman times was acceptable- even honourable for some people. I think they had to be wealthy though. They didn't want slaves killing themselves. But, I think it was actually possible to get the method from medical practioners of the time.

 

[Pluto]

How to CTB in Ancient Rome

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...

sanctioned-suicide.net

 

[Gustav Hartmann]

I guess prior to the invention of guns hanging was the by far most popular method to kill oneself. I know it explicitly for ancient america, far east and the germanic world. Judas discredited this way to die for the Christian community.

 

[Kali_Yuga13]

"Plato believed that the state and the gods were associated, "Hence crimes against the state are crimes against the gods and vice versa. When a man kills himself without good reason… he is committing a crime".[6] This allowed the state the right to punish. However, this did not imply that suicide was completely unacceptable. Plato believed that suicide was acceptable under some circumstances, similar to Socrates."

Suicide in antiquity - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I believe suicide as a means to end mental suffering or poverty was seen as ignoble and unmanly in ancient times. Suicide to evade capture/enslavement/torture from an enemy was acceptable for men. For women, becoming a widow or having been raped thus one's honor stolen were acceptable reasons.

People were more acquainted with poisons in the past. In King Louis's France the time of inheritance powders arsenic could be bought but only by the upper class. In addition for use to murder, I wonder if anyone used it to ctb. Village herbalists or cunning folk would know what plants to use but likely guarded that knowledge for the same reasons people today are reluctant directly help facilitate suicide.

Cleopatra is said to have died by snake bite but there's some dispute that the may have done the puncture herself or with help and then rubbed the venom into the wound.

I imagine jumping from cliffs, drowning, fire, suicide by instigating unnecessary combat (old school suicide by cop) and poisoning to be common methods. Not much different than today minus technological advances like guns, inert gas, trains, cars etc.