Suicidal bodies in ancient Greece

Practice, principles and problems in dealing with bodies of suicides

Lecture and talk with Isabelle Künzer (Justus Liebig University Giessen)

From different periods of history different measures against the corpses of suicidal persons are known. For ancient Greece, too, the tradition on this complex of topics seems to be quite rich at first sight. The lecture, which is dedicated to the handling of corpses of suicidal persons in the ancient Greek world, on the one hand illuminates the concrete practices, motives and backgrounds that were decisive for certain procedures with suicidal bodies in this epoch. On the other hand, the respective circumstances of the suicides will be presented and questioned to what extent these gave reason to expose the bodies to special sanctions later on. In the course of the lecture it will become clear that the ambivalent attitude towards suicide in ancient Greece found its special expression in the treatment of suicidal bodies, but that it can by no means be assumed that all suicides were subject to general sanctions.

Dr. Isabelle Künzer's research interests include suicide in ancient Greece. Her research interests include dying, death and burial in ancient Greece.