Dreams of Themistocles and Hannibal (1960, first edition)

Dr Marie Louise von Franz's lecture to The Guild of Pastoral Psychology

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Printing Details

First edition. Slim pamphlet, stapled binding. 18.5 × 12.5cm, 22pp [1].

In Guild Lecture No. 111, Marie-Louise von Franz applies Jungian analytical psychology to classical history, examining how the recorded dreams of Athenian statesman Themistocles and Carthaginian general Hannibal operated as prophetic, compensatory encounters with the objective unconscious. Analyzing Themistocles' dream of maternal / chthonic sacrifice alongside Hannibal’s vision of the destructive serpent, von Franz demonstrates how high-stakes political ambition and ego-hubris can unleash overwhelming shadow forces. She argues that when historical leaders fail to integrate or heed these numinous archetypal warnings, they risk becoming tragic instruments of destiny, ultimately consumed by the very unconscious forces their visions foretold.

Condition

Fair to good condition. Some corner creasing and tanning, and one of the staples is starting to rust but remaining in strong readable condition.