"Euthanasia" in ancient Rome - historical and legal aspects

Abstract

Objectives The purpose of this paper is to analyse the euthanathic homicide in the ancient Rome. The author is looking for answers to the questions: How did the ancient Romans understand euthanasia? Was euthanasia in the modern sense of the word known and practiced by the Romans? What could be the methods of performing a murder on demand? What legal repercussions were associated with this? Material and methods The author used primarily the historical-legal and dogmatic-legal research methods. Results In the ancient Rome, we encounter the term "euthanasia", understood primarily as a good death or gentle dying. Currently, in the Polish law, euthanasia is a murder on demand performed under the influence of compassion (Article 150 of the Penal Code). Beside many descriptions of suicides, there is little evidence that Rome resorted to mercy killing under the influence of compassion. Conclusions Nevertheless, such types of behaviour described, for example, by Valerius Maximus in relation to those tired of life from Marseilles, make us think that such today's understanding of euthanasia sporadically occurred in the era under study. With the help of others, one resorted to being impaled with a sword, opening veins or using poison. Although we probably do not have regulations directly relating to killing on demand under the influence of compassion, the weariness of life (taedium vitae), however, so present in the Roman legislation mitigated the legal consequences of taking one's own life.

Keywords

• euthanasia
• good death
• mercy killing
• weariness of life
• taedium vitae
• euthanathic homicide