Ancient PTSD

Classification

The term PTSD only came into use in the 1970’s in America in large part due to the diagnoses of returning U.S soldiers who had fought in the gruesome Vietnam War. Many returning soldiers would not be themselves which gave more attention to the disorder. The term became officially recognized in 1980 by the American Psychiatric Association. However before the 1970’s people still experienced PTSD however it was not as well documented and went under different terms. In 1915, at the start of World War l, the term “shellshock” came into use, describing similar symptoms to PTSD. Due to the different nature of World War 1, compared to previous conflicts, many more soldiers returned with PTSD symptoms which became known as shellshock. This influx of mentally damaged soldiers caused opinion of war as a whole to change. Prior to this conflict going to war was arguably more noble, heroic and romantic but advancements in warfare like the use of gas, tanks and bombs and the sheer amount of terrifying deaths and mentally scarred soldiers caused this outlook to change. This is also when soldiers' mental health was better documented and regarded with more importance as many of the returning soldiers could not function in society anymore (“From Shell Shock and War Neurosis to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A History of Psychotraumatology”).

“Vietnam Veterans Still Living with PTSD 40+ Years Later.” Healthyplace, 2016, www.healthyplace.com/sites/default/files/images/stories/seroquel/32-vietnam-veterans-still-living-with-ptsd-40.jpg.

Controversy

This is some controversy among historians as to whether PTSD had a significant role in the ancient and even prehistoric world. Universalists argue that our brains haven't had time to develop (evolution) and that our brains are the same now as they were thousands of years ago. According to this logic, if we experience PTSD now then our ancient relatives would have been equally vulnerable. On the other hand, relativists, argue that the circumstances under which the individual has received their life conditioning is of critical importance to an individual’s capacity to absorb the undoubted horrors of any battlefield, ancient or modern. Modern warfare is completely different to ancient warfare and the documentation and classification of these mental disorders only really started happening after World War 1 as warfare had become significantly more advanced. To properly understand both cases it is important to consider them in more detail and also to look at the sources we have (Riches).

“Debate.” Youth Incorporated, youthincmag.com/up-your-debating-skills-with-these-5-helpful-tips-to-ensure-victory.

Source 1

There are earlier sources but the earliest noteworthy and concrete case of documented PTSD symptoms comes from the battle of Marathon 490BC. According to Herodutes, a greek historian, at the midst of the battle between the Athenians and the invading Persians, an Athenian soldier stood in horror and was immediately stricken with blindness. Even after the battle the soldier continued to be blind despite not receiving a single blow or injury. He was suffering from Hysterical blindness which is a rare symptom but well studied symptom of PTSD. This is the first concrete source that documents a person walking away from a battle with a mental injury (“Did Ancient Soldiers Get PTSD?”).

Steeple Davis , John. “Battle of Marathon.” Wikipedia, 1900, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Marathon#/media/File:Scene_of_the_Battle_of_Marathon.jpg.

Source 2

The next two sources come from the Roman Empire. The “Roman History” book from a greek historian describes a Roman veteran Cestius Macedonicus, who during the civil war between Mark Antony and Octavian in 41-40 BCE, fearing for his fate, he set fire to his house and burned alive. Gaius Octavian had previously ordered the sack and plunder of Persia, which caused the man to “lose” his mind according to the book. Another case is from “The Life of Marius” which describes how Marius, a roman soldier and statesman, later in his life in 86 BCE suffered terrifying nightmares and insomnia. He was afraid of another war. Sleep problems caused him to start abusing alcohol which supposedly helped soothe his nerves. These symptoms are very similar to symptoms modern PTSD victims suffer from.

“Roman Battle.” ImperiumRomanum, 2020, imperiumromanum.pl/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/walka-rzymian-z-barzbarzyncami.jpg.

Source 3

This forth source comes from World War 1. Approximately 80,000 British soldiers were treated for shell-shock over the course of the war which at the time was the classification for soldier suffering PTSD similar symptoms. I could stand here and show you thousands of sources showing victims of PTSD from World War 1 but I only think it’s necessary to show you one. On the 4th of October 1914 a patient who had been fighting in the trenches in France was administered into a hospital after a shell burst very close to him. He was diagnosed as suffering from shellshock . His evesight was worse, he was death in the one ear so he was eventually sent back to England a year later. When arriving home he claimed he had contracted pneumonia and was suffering from pain in the heart. His heart would randomly beat violently and rapidly (100 bpm). He also suffers from insomnia and terrifying nightmares.

“Hospital The Great War.” Forces War Records, www.forces-war-records.co.uk/military-hospital-records.