‘Interrupted by fits of weeping’, Cicero’s Major Depressive Disorder and the death of Tullia

Autore: Evans, Kathleen M.
Titolo: ‘Interrupted by fits of weeping’, Cicero’s Major Depressive Disorder and the death of Tullia
Rivista/Miscellanea: History of Psychiatry, Vol. 18, No. 1
Anno edizione: 2007
Pagine: 81-102
Parole chiave: Biographie - Biografia - Biography
Descrizione: [Abstract] The letters of Marcus Tullius Cicero (106—43 BC), the Roman statesman, lawyer, orator and author, were analysed as part of a larger study that systematically examined ancient Greek and Roman literature to recover descriptions of mental illness. A degree of necessar y caution was exercised, but the wealth of material revealed in the letters about Cicero's physical and emotional state enable a diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder to be made with some certainty according to the DSM-IV-TR. Cicero appears to have experienced increasingly severe bouts of suicidal depression that seriously impaired his relationships with his friends, family and political colleagues, and possibly shortened his life. His last depressive episode following the death of his daughter Tullia is addressed here in some detail. [Bio] K. Evans : Griffith University, Australia.
Sigla autore: Evans 2007