This book examines the lasting impact of war on individuals and their communities in pre-modern Europe. Research on combat stress in the modern era regularly draws upon the past for inspiration and validation, but to date no single volume has effectively scrutinised the universal nature of combat stress and its associated modern diagnoses. Highlighting the methodological obstacles of using modern medical and psychological models to understand pre-modern experiences, this book challenges existing studies and presents innovative new directions for future research. With cutting-edge contributions from experts in history, classics and medical humanities, the collection has a broad chronological focus, covering periods from Archaic Greece (c. sixth and early fifth century BCE) to the British Civil Wars (seventeenth century CE). Topics range from the methodological, such as the dangers of retrospective diagnosis and the applicability of Moral Injury to the past, to the conventionally historical, examining how combat stress and post-traumatic stress disorder may or may not have manifested in different time periods. With chapters focusing on combatants, women, children and the collective trauma of their communities, this collection will be of great interest to those researching the history of mental health in the pre-modern period.
Author(s): Owen Rees; Kathryn Hurlock; Jason Crowley
Series: Mental Health in Historical Perspective
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 210
City: Cham
A Note on References
Contents
List of Contributors
Combat Trauma in Pre-modern Europe: An Introduction
The Chapters
Bibliography
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder: An Ancient Greek Case Study in Retrospective Diagnosis
Approaches in Retrospective PTSD Studies
Presentism in Retrospectively Diagnosing PTSD
Modern Disorder or Historical Constant?
Interpreting PTSD-Like Symptoms in Ancient Texts
Cultural Aspects of Studies on the Presence of PTSD in the Past
Conclusions
Bibliography
A Collective War Trauma in Classical Athens? Coping with the Human Cost of Warfare in Aeschylus’ Persians
War Trauma Between Psychology and History—Ancient and Modern
Aeschylus’ Persians in Post-War Athens
Aeschylus’ Persians: Coping with Unprecedented War Casualties
Collective War Trauma and Tragic Catharsis
Bibliography
Combat Trauma and Ajax: A Script-Based Approach
Bibliography
Legal Evidence for Roman PTSD?
Bibliography
Terrible but Unavoidable? Combat Trauma and a Change to Legal Proscriptions on Roman Military Suicide Under Hadrian
Roman Military Mental Health
Suicide in the Roman Army
Hadrian’s Rescript—Digest 28.3.6.7 and 29.1.34
‘Tiring of (Military) Life’
Roman Combat Trauma
Why Was the Rescript Introduced?
Conclusion
Bibliography
Was There Combat Trauma in the Middle Ages? A Case for Moral Injury in Pre-modern Conflict
Introduction
Existing Approaches
The Case for Moral Injury
Self Before Mission
Other Causes
Symptoms
Conclusion
Bibliography
Fear and Loathing in Eyrbyggja Saga: Combat Trauma in Medieval Iceland
The Events in Eyrbyggja Saga
The Aftermath
The Berserks and Combat PTSD
Conclusion
Bibliography
Understandings of Adversity and Resilience Amongst Women and Children During the Seventeenth-Century British Civil Wars
Religion
Family and Community
Political Engagement
Poverty and Employment
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index
