Diseases and demons: Christianity’s influence on mental healthcare in the Roman Empire in the third and fourth centuries.

Abstract

In this thesis I explore Christianity's influence on mental healthcare in the late Roman Empire. Firstly I investigate the Mental illness in classical sources, after which I look into the recognition of mental discomfort in antiquity. The main chapters of the essay are centered around the tripartite distinction of prevent, care and cure. Starting at these three concepts I explore how Christian and Roman customs show diversion or continuity.