The History of Suicide

As early as 550 BC, reports of prominent historical figures taking their life by suicide was an act that shaped ancient history. In ancient times, suicide sometimes followed defeat in battle, to avoid capture and possible torture, mutilation, or enslavement by the enemy.

Among the great thinkers of ancient times philosophies began to arise, Notable mathematician, Pythagoras was against the act, believing that “there was only a finite number of souls for use in the world and that the sudden and unexpected departure of one would upset a delicate balance”.

Aristotle condemned suicide, stating that it “robbed the community of the services of one of its members”.

During the 17th and early 18th centuries, religious leaders began creating loopholes in doctrine to avoid the damnation that was promised by most Christian writers, and by the 19th century, the act of suicide had shifted from being viewed as caused by demons and sin to being caused by insanity.

The use of the word suicide was devised by Sir Thomas Browne and first published in his book “Religio Medici” in 1643.

Suicide had become established as a noun and verb by the mid-18th century and was recognized by inclusion in Johnson’s Dictionary, before that it was rarely used.