Theia mania
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Theia mania is a term used by Plato, and Plato's main protagonist Socrates to describe a condition of Divine Madness; or literally madness from God. The famous Platonic dialogue Phaedrus is between Socrates and skilled elocutor, Phaedrus. In this work, circa 370 B.C., Socrates' character describes the theia mania as follows:
"In such families that accumulated vast wealth were found dire plagues and afflictions of the soul, for which mania devised a rememdy, inasmuch as the same was a gift from God, if only to be rightly frenzied and possessed, using proper atonement rituals."
Virgil describes the Delphian priestess, Pythia prophesying in a frenzied state in The Aeneid:
"...neither her face nor hue went untransformed; Her breast heaved; Her wild heart grew large with passion. Taller to their eyes. sounding no longer mortal, she prophesied what was inspired from The God breathing near, uttering words not to be ignored"
