Autothanasia and suicide; is there a moral difference? Self-killing was as frequent in the Greco-Roman world as it is now, but its sociological profile, its motives and methods were at considerable variance. This study covers the facts, attitudes and reflections of philosophers and theologians concerning self-killing. Using almost 1000 case studies, Van Hooff investigates suicides caused by love, insanity, guilt - even the use of suicide as a deliberate pollution of an enemy's house. Methods of suicide are discussed and ancient popular morality is analyzed as it appears in the various media: in drama, light verse, law, burial customs, pictures and even jokes. Van Hooff traces the development of the concept of self-murder in philosophical and religious thinking, and uncovers the roots of the Christian abhorrence of suicide.

Using almost a thousand case studies, both real and fictional, Dr van Hooff provides us with a unique and engaging insight into self-killing in the Graeco-Roman world. The author analyses the methods and motives which lie behind self-killing relating them to ancient popular morality as it appears in the various media and traces the development of the concept of self-murder, as opposed to the original idea of autothanasia, which lies at the root of the Christian abhorrence of suicide.