The Interpretation of Dreams

By: Artemidorus

Narrated by: David Timson

Dating from the third century AD, Artemidorus’ The Interpretation of Dreams (Oneirocritica) is the only dream-book from Graeco-Roman antiquity that has survived intact. It represents the most influential pre-Freudian treatment of dreams and the theory of their interpretation. In the ancient world it was widely believed that some dreams had allegorical significance that, if correctly interpreted, offered insight into the future. Artemidorus makes a clear distinction between predictive and non-predictive dreams, setting out the general principle of interpretation.

Oneirocritica surveys over 1,400 dream-elements, their allegorical significance and their actual or predicted outcomes. It has additional appeal as a social history, presenting a rich picture of the Graeco-Roman mind, social and moral values, sexual norms, and the hopes and fears of ordinary people in a busy Greek city.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

Public Domain (P)2022 Naxos AudioBooks UK Ltd.

Whacky and wonderful, not a page turner

I first tried listening to this book a couple of years back and just couldn’t get into it. Then I went down a little Greek studies rabbit hole and came back to it. Really it’s quite a remarkable book. I forgot sometimes I was listening to something from 1700 years ago. Dreams of law suits, of interest repayments, of strange sexual events, all dealt with in a way that’s quite analytical (he pooh-poohs the veracity of many myths and other fortune telling methods, all while somehow believing in oneiromancy)… it’s very modern, with echoes of Freud, William Burroughs, semiotics, all kinds of things. Not exactly a page turner but lots in here if you give it the time.