Madness in Ancient Greek Tragedy: A Retrospective Medical Analysis of Heracles and Medea

Madness in ancient Greek tragedy emerges as both narrative device and anthropological marker. Figures like Heracles and Medea embody extreme forms of psychic disintegration, which, when reread through the lens of palaeomedicine and palaeoneurology, reveal possible correlations with known neuropsychiatric and dermatological disorders. This article reconsiders the classical myths of Heracles and Medea with an interdisciplinary methodology, integrating philology, medical history, and psychopathological interpretation.