suicide

Cleopatra’s Death as depicted in a painting entitled ‘The Death of Cleopatra’ by Jean-André Rixens. Source: Public domain

28 May, 2023 - 23:00 Susan Ardizzoni

The Enigma of Cleopatra's Death: Was it Suicide or Murder?

Accepted historical accounts claim that Cleopatra, the last active pharaoh of ancient Egypt, committed suicide. Cleopatra assumed the throne of Egypt after the demise of Alexander the Great during...

Aokigahara Forest, a.k.a. Suicide Forest, in Japan. Source: Satoshi881 / Adobe Stock

7 May, 2023 - 22:55 Cecilia Bogaard

Japan's Aokigahara Forest Struggles to Shed Historic Suicide Infamy

In the shadow of Japan’s Mount Fuji, lies the sprawling Aokigahara Forest, also known as Jukai , or the Sea of Trees, because its rustling branches reportedly resemble the sound of the sea. The...

12 June, 2021 - 22:55 dhwty

Hannibal: The Carthaginian General Who Took on the Romans

Hannibal Barca was a Carthaginian general who lived between the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC. He is perhaps best remembered for his military campaign against the Romans in the Second Punic War. Thanks to...

The idea of suicide is complicated and controversial, and the position of the Church was less than sympathetic.

30 March, 2021 - 18:57 Sahir

Dire Consequences of Suicide in the European Middle Ages

The cycle of life and death is an eternal and unchanging truth of human history. Yet, the attitudes around both are influenced and shaped by a number of factors. Today, dying of old age is seen as a...

17 February, 2021 - 23:40 Natalia Klimczak

What if Cleopatra and Octavian Had Been Friends?

While Caesar and Cleopatra have been remembered as the ultimate power couple, Cleopatra and Octavian are among the most famous enemies of ancient history. Both inextricably linked to Caesar,...

6 January, 2021 - 17:55 Aleksa Vučković

A Royal Love Affair: The Mystery of Amy Robsart Dudley’s Death

Royal courts were always a hotspot for intrigues, secrets, schemes, and love affairs. Where prestige and power reign, true love is often nowhere to be found. But in those cases when royal passions...

The Young Woman’s Mask of Death That Inspires The Living

2 October, 2020 - 22:01 ashley cowie

Unforgettable Death Mask: The Unknown Woman of the Seine

Death , to most of us, is a distant nightmare lurking somewhere on an unfathomable horizon, a future concern. But there have always been people who see beauty in death, like we see beauty in a rose...

A collection of shoes, presumably from those who have taken their lives, inside Aokigahara forest.

16 September, 2020 - 20:56 Joanna Gillan

The Aokigahara Forest of Japan: Many Enter, But Few Walk Out Alive

The Aokigahara forest is situated on the north-western side of Japan’s famous Mount Fuji. It was born 1,100 years ago, when Mount Fuji erupted, spewing out lava for miles which later transformed into...

2 July, 2020 - 20:51 MartiniF

The Honorable Death: Samurai and Seppuku in Feudal Japan

While martial suicide is a practice found in a lot of cultures, the act of seppuku , or ritual self-disembowelment, is peculiar to Japan. The earliest known acts of seppuku were the deaths of samurai...

The legend of La Llorona. Source: Denise Rowlands / CC BY-SA 2.0

25 May, 2019 - 01:43 Robert Lopez

La Llorona: The Terrible Truth About Mexico's Weeping Woman

Of all the Latin American folktales and legends , none are more prolific and well-known as that of La Llorona. Long before its latest movie incarnation, “The Curse of La Llorona” was released the...

Medieval style buildings in Passau where three people were found dead, shot by crossbow

15 May, 2019 - 01:18 Alicia McDermott

Medieval Weapon Enthusiasts Killed With Crossbows

A quaint Bavarian hotel has become the scene of a murder mystery with medieval links. When hotel employees found the dead bodies of three people the scene was described as something akin to a scene...

The first clear example of an ancient Harappan couple burial.

11 January, 2019 - 13:58 Alicia McDermott

Archaeologists Find the First Example of a Harappan Couple Burial

A rare discovery at an ancient Harappan site shows that death doesn’t even mean the end for some relationships. The couple’s burial stands out from others in a sprawling cemetery. Even in the grave,...

‘The Meeting of Antony and Cleopatra’, by Lawrence Alma-Tadema.

16 July, 2018 - 11:22 dhwty

Searching for the Lost Tomb of Antony and Cleopatra

Mark Antony and Cleopatra are among the most famous pairs of lovers from the ancient world. Following their defeat at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC, their final refuge from the victorious Octavian...

2 July, 2018 - 15:05 Veronica Parkes

The Ming Dynasty Concubines: A Life of Abuse, Torture and Murder for Thousands of Women

The Chinese Ming Dynasty lasted for 276 years (1368 – 1644 AD), and has been described as “one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history.” This dynasty became a...

‘Lucretia’ by Lucas Cranach the Elder. Lucretia’s suicide is a well-known example of suicide in ancient Rome.

27 January, 2018 - 13:57 dhwty

Petitioning for Death: Did Ancient Romans Really Ask for Permission to Commit Suicide?

Cases of suicide are known to have occurred in ancient Rome, as they have been recorded by ancient writers. But there are many questions surrounding this subject that have yet to be fully answered. A...

Left: Lilias reconstructed face as she may have looked when alive. (Dundee University) Right: 3D imagery created from the photo of Adie’s skull. (National Library of Scotland)

1 November, 2017 - 21:53 Theodoros Karasavvas

Face of Notorious “Witch” Digitally Reconstructed 300 Years after her Death

A group of elite forensic scientists from the University of Dundee, has reconstructed digitally the face of one of Scotland's most notorious “witches”, Lilias Adie. The only documents that helped...