SUICIDE:  PAGAN VS CHRISTIAN VIEWS

CLASSICAL VIEW OF SUICIDE

RAPE OF LUCRETIA:  [Livy Book I]
              founding legend of Roman Republic                              
 virtuous Roman matron, raped by
SEXTUS TARQUINIUS, son of Tarquin King

Lucretia’s  suicide: for honor, chastity
    “that no unchaste woman may use the name        
     of Lucretia as an excuse to live”

BRUTUS – (the first one, Lucius Junius Brutus)
          avenges her death by overthrowing King
           founder of Republic, one of two Consuls
Moral purpose of Republic:
           defense of domestic virtue of women
           by military & political virtue of men

STOICISM:  Roman school of philosophy
         Emperor MARCUS AURELIUS  2^cd C
         suicide as preservation of freedom

CHRISTIAN REJECTION OF SUICIDE:

St. Augustine, City of God 413 CE/AD

      condemns suicide of Lucretia as murder of self
      Lucretia as sinful, damned, not heroic

Dante’s view: mixed – suicides in Hell but
                                     some also in Purgatory