Background: Suicide is a topic of public and professional interest. We explored the earliest reports of suicide in the West, ceasing at 30 BCE, seeking a better understanding of suicide.
Conclusion: We found twelve accounts of suicide, extending over more than 1000 years. We found no evidence of mental disorder. All cases were associated with painful events. While many aspects of the world have changed over the millennia, the activating effects of human distress have persisted.