Combat Trauma and the Ancient Greeks

The effects of what we now term 'combat trauma' are well represented in the literature of the Ancient Greeks: the madness of Heracles, the rage of Achilles, the suicide of Ajax, the isolation of Philoctetes, and the trials of Odysseus, to name a few. Much of the narrative of the Greek world, particularly Athens, reflects a preoccupation with the consequences of violence and war. In this book, a diverse group of scholars, who specialize in different aspects of ancient Greek culture, explore how the Greeks responded to war and the various manifestations of 'post-traumatic stress' and 'combat stress injury' in ancient Greek culture.

Peter Meineck is Associate Professor of Classics at New York University, USA and Honorary Professor of Classics at the University of Nottingham, UK. He is the founding director of New York's Aquila Theatre and has directed and/or produced over 60 professional stage productions. He has published widely on ancient performance and the application of cognitive studies to theatre in antiquity.

David Konstan is Professor of Classics at New York University and Professor Emeritus of Classics and Comparative Literature at Brown University, USA. His research focuses on ancient Greek and Latin literature, especially comedy and the novel, and classical philosophy. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.