Author Description
'dreams Are Products Of The Mind, And Do Not Come From Any External Source' Artemidorus' The Interpretation Of Dreams (oneirocritica) Is The Richest And Most Vivid Pre-freudian Account Of Dream Interpretation, And The Only Dream-book To Have Survived Complete From Graeco-roman Times. Written In Greek Around Ad 200, When Dreams Were Believed By Many To Offer Insight Into Future Events, The Work Is A Compendium Of Interpretations Of Dreams On A Wide Range Of Subjects Relating To The Natural, Human, And Divine Worlds. It Includes The Meanings Of Dreams About The Body, Sex, Eating And Drinking, Dress, The Weather, Animals, The Gods, And Much Else. Artemidorus' Technique Of Dream Interpretation Stresses The Need To Know The Background Of The Dreamer, Such As Occupation, Health, Status, Habits, And Age, And The Work Is A Fascinating Social History, Revealing Much About Ancient Life, Culture, And Beliefs, And Attitudes To The Dominant Power Of Imperial Rome. Martin Hammond's Fine Translation Is Accompanied By A Lucid Introduction And Explanatory Notes By Peter Thonemann, Which Assist The Reader In Understanding This Important Work, Which Was An Influence On Both Sigmund Freud And Michel Foucault.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
The core question investigated is how dream interpretation functioned as a systematic practice within the cultural and social framework of the Graeco-Roman world. Artemidorus, an ancient Greek professional dream interpreter, compiles a comprehensive manual that treats dreams as meaningful indicators of future events rather than mere psychological projections. By emphasizing the necessity of context—such as the dreamer's social status, occupation, and physical health—the author establishes a structured methodology for decoding symbolic imagery within the ancient Mediterranean worldview.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- A comprehensive catalog of dream symbols categorized by human, natural, and divine domains.
- A methodology requiring the integration of the dreamer's personal background and social standing.
- Insights into the daily life, cultural anxieties, and religious beliefs of the Roman Imperial era.
Scope Limits
- The text does not provide modern psychological or psychoanalytic validation for its interpretations.
- It does not cover non-Graeco-Roman dream traditions or contemporary scientific understandings of sleep cycles.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars and historians recognize this work as the most significant surviving primary source for understanding ancient attitudes toward divination and the subconscious. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which serves as a foundational text for those studying the intellectual history of dream analysis prior to the development of modern psychoanalysis.
Page Count:
320
Publication Date:
2020-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0192518860
ISBN-13:
9780192518866
History
Philosophy
Psychology
Ancient History
Dream interpretation