The Cure for Madness

In ancient Greece, hellebore was strongly associated with madness and its cure. According to myth, the seer and healer Melampus cured the daughters of Proetus, who had gone mad after offending the god Dionysus. Melampus used hellebore - administered as a purgative - to cleanse their bodies and restore their sanity. Because of this story, hellebore became known as a plant capable of driving out madness.

Another myth connects hellebore to Heracles, who was said to have used it against the centaur Pholus, causing frenzy or death. In classical medical writing, hellebore was considered extremely powerful and dangerous, used only in severe cases of mental illness. Greek physicians believed that insanity could be expelled from the body through strong purging, and hellebore was the most famous plant for this purpose.

Watercolor on paper, 2025
17x15 cm