Discussion How ancient cultures handled suicide...

[itsamadworld]

Wasn't sure whether to post it here or in the suicide section. (yesterday i posted my animal suicide post in the suicide section, idk? ) Okay, I have a link attached about how Rome legally handled suicides. Do any of you have any interesting reads/comments/videos about how other cultures handle suicide ie: Legally, spiritually, overall cultural attitude to suicide? It doesn't matter which HUMAN culture or time -period. :)

In Ancient Rome, suicide was allowed as a form of euthanasia | The Vintage News

 

[Deleted member 1465]

The ancient Roman and Greek attitudes are often cited. Feudal Japan ofc had the honour system where suicide was actually expected in some situations. I've no sources, but I did once hear from ethnographic studies of hunter/gatherer tribes who left the old and the sick behind alone when they moved on. The story was, they'd give them a spear to 'go on their last hunt' but everyone knew what it meant in reality. I'm not sure if any of that is true because there is no evidence of it.

 

[GoodPersonEffed]

The Stoics viewed life as a party, and considered it the rational choice to leave the party (suicide) under certain conditions:

1. In service of one's country, i.e., an old friend shows up to the party and requires your services.

2. The arrival of rowdy revelers, i.e., tyrants who force us to say or do disgraceful things at the party.

3. Protracted illness that prevents the soul from the use of its tool, the body, i.e., spoilage of provisions for the party.

4. Poverty, i.e., scarceness of party provisions.

5. Madness, i.e., drunkenness at the party. In Buddhist terms, intoxicants lower one's inhibitions against doing no harm to others and, by default, the self, or in Stoic terms, lowering the inhibitions of practicing virtue. It would be a dangerous party for the wise and virtuous one who practiced moderation.

Source: Griffin, Miriam. "Philosophy, Cato, and Roman Suicide I," Greece and Rome, vol. 33, no. 1, 1986, pp. 64-77. Original source cited by Griffin, Stoicorum Veterum Fragmenta, a 1903-1905 collection by Hans von Arnim of fragments and testimony of the earlier Stoics.

This article and article II are available for free online viewing at JSTOR.

Gautama Buddha also had no problem with suicide. When one of his disciples suicided due to an illness, Gautama claimed the disciple had released attachment to life and had attained enlightenment.

 

[Life sucks]

This is not ancient quote:

People who try to commit suicide don't attempt to save them! China is such a populous nation, it is not as if we cannot do without a few people. -Mao

This explains how each nation, ancient or not handle the suicide. If there are many people, let them die. If there are less or are needed for wars or economy then suicide is opposed and natalism is encouraged to make a bigger army than others which is what many ancient empires has done, starting from small places and colonizing the world.

 

[Anxious Darling]

Ixtab was the indigenous Mayan goddess of suicide by hanging. Though there exists doubts about its validity, i still think its interesting that there may have been a goddess of suicide.