The act of voluntary death was never condemned in antiquity. In fact, The English word "suicide" comes from the Latin for "self-slaying." The reason for a voluntary death had to be one that was honorable and necessary to remove any element of its opposite, shame. A noble death was based on the important element of choice.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original article at https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2676/the-ancient-concept-of-a-noble-death/.
Join the Conversation
- What did you think about this article?
- Is there anything you'd change or add?
- Have you come across a different take on this topic?
Is there anything you'd like to ask about this article? Ask away — and if you spot something that should be covered, that's useful to know too.