Suicidal thinking and behaviour as of 600 BCE (Aesop’s fables)

Abstract

Objective: Psychiatry has ignored history, anthropology, sociology and literature in the search for enlightenment regarding suicide. Our objective was to determine what, if anything, Aesop’s fables had to teach us about suicide in around 600 BCE. Aesop’s account is around two centuries older than the oldest text (Herodotus: The histories) previously examined by our group. Method: We examined two translations of Aesop’s fables, seeking accounts fitting the following categories: (1) suicidal thinking, (2) suicidal behaviour without fatal consequences, and (3) suicidal behaviour with fatal consequences. Results: One account fitting each of these categories was identified. The triggers were: (i) self-doubt and criticism, (ii) unpleasant predicament (constant fear), and (iii) inescapable physical pain. Conclusion: Evidence indicates that around 600 BCE, suicide was practised as a means of coping with self-doubt and criticism, unpleasant predicaments and inescapable physical pain. Recent scientific evidence confirms these observations.