A study of visual hallucination in classical and Hellenistic antiquity

Erdman, Marisol Elisabeth (2019) A study of visual hallucination in classical and Hellenistic antiquity. MRes thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

This dissertation examines accounts of visual hallucination from the Classical and Hellenistic periods from a variety of perspectives to consider the relationship between visual misperceptions and madness. To achieve this I adopt a thematic approach, drawing upon a range of primary textual sources – medical, philosophical and tragic – which describe or discuss the topic. As we will see, the various theories put forth by the writers on hallucination also offer insight into ideas on the workings of the mind and body in these periods, which in turn inform the writers’ understanding of why those experiencing madness may see things that others around them do not.

• Item Type: Thesis (MRes)
• Qualification Level: Masters
• Keywords: Hallucination, vision, perception, misperception, Greek medicine, Greek philosophy, Greek tragedy, madness, mental illness in antiquity, phantasia, phantasmata.
• Subjects: D History General and Old World > D History (General) > D051 Ancient History; D History General and Old World > DF Greece
• Colleges/Schools: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Humanities > Classics
• Supervisor's Name: Xenofontos, Dr. Sophia and Ruffell, Professor Isabel
• Date of Award: 2019
• Depositing User: Ms Marisol E Erdman
• Unique ID: glathesis:2019-74407
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 30 Oct 2019 16:28
• Last Modified: 05 Mar 2020 22:21
• Thesis DOI: 10.5525/gla.thesis.74407
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/74407