Ancient Greek Suicide Essay

Suicide is superlatively different in ancient times then it is today. Many of ancient greek philosopher thought that suicide is immoral unless you were old or too weak to continue.

In ancient rome the opinion was vastly different from greek. In Rome suicide was allowed for the common folk, but now if you were a soldier or a slave it was forbidden if economic reasons.

As a soldier in the imperial legion is consider dishonourable to executed by the hands of the enemy. Many thought those who wish to die were weak and depraved.

The term suicide first came up during the hellenistic period. Many of the greek philosopher didn’t believe that suicide was reasonable. Many of them thought that suicide was for the weak and depraved. As Plato also thought that people who wished to commit suicide for pointless reasons should be buried in a shallow grave. Epicurus, Thought that suicide was the only accepted for those who were in unbearable pain. Pythagorean once said that since all life is scared that one should never end there life. Suicide was accepted for those who disgraced the rules of society, Plato once said that those who can commit heinous crimes such as robbery or murder should just rid the world of themselves. In ancient greek

suicide was vastly different than suicide in ancient rome.
In, ancient rome suicide wasn’t forbidden or looked down upon for citizens.

Suicide is strictly forbidden for soldiers and slaves for economic reasons. In the Imperial Legion it was expected of Frumentarii and centurions to end their life to avoid capture as this meant that they would be executed by the enemy which is considered disgraceful. The main difference with between greek and roman suicide is that Roman is an honor based country like Japan, were as Greece was a more of a respect based culture. If one loses honor in Rome one of the ways to regain your honor would be to end your life. Suicides between these nations were vastly different from one another. Suicide in Rome was consider an act of forgiveness and made you look

strong.
In greece it was an act of weakness it showed you were weak and worthless.

In conclusion suicide in these nations were vastly different than one another. Suicide was excepted from Legionnaires in war to avoid capture and or execution. Were as in greece suicide in war was never an option if you were caught you just had to live with it. This truly shows how one culture idolized strength of compassion. This is probably the root cause of greece losing to rome. Many of the Roman emperors taught there men that suicide was accepted if there was no chance of you retreating or winning the battle. Avoiding capture was the main reason. Many of the legates of the roman legion would execute those who refused orders. Execution was one of the most dishonourable ways to die during this time. In the Roman culture weakness was stamped out like a plague. Rome and Japan also has very similar culture about honor. Where if one disgraces there family or their leader suicide is a viable choice to gain forgiveness. Just as suicide was except of japanese soldiers so was it of roman soldiers. This shows the striking similarities of these cultures.