Dreams have fascinated humanity since the dawn of civilization, but Artemidorus of Daldis created the most comprehensive and influential dream interpretation manual ever written from antiquity to present times. His five-volume masterwork, the Oneirocritica, written around 200 AD, represents the earliest extant Greek work on dream interpretation and established methodological foundations that would influence thinkers for centuries, including Sigmund Freud himself.
Revolutionary Methodology and Empirical Approach
Unlike earlier interpreters who relied solely on religious revelation or arbitrary symbolism, Artemidorus attempted a methodical and empirical approach by gathering thousands of dreams and their real-life outcomes during lengthy travels through Greece, Italy and Asia. His dedication to field research was unprecedented, as he spent years with dream interpreters across the Mediterranean, attending festivals and studying with practitioners from all social levels. Artemidorus wrote that he procured every book on dream interpretation available and spent many years with public diviners, despite their poor reputation, to hear about old dreams and their outcomes.
The methodological sophistication of Artemidorus becomes evident through his systematic classification system. He categorized dreams into allegorical types that represent future events in symbolic form, and directly predictive dreams where the outcome corresponds literally to the vision. This distinction allowed him to develop interpretive frameworks that accounted for the complex relationship between dream symbolism and waking reality. His approach emphasized that the interpreter needs to know the background of the dreamer, such as his occupation, health, status, habits, and age, and must find out how the subject feels about each component of the dream. Modern readers can explore these principles in Martin Hammond's acclaimed Oxford World's Classics translation of the complete work.
Cultural Context and Social Stratification
The Oneirocritica provides extraordinary insights into ancient Greco-Roman society, revealing how dream interpretation reflected complex social hierarchies and cultural values. Artemidorus emphasized that the context and social status of the dreamer matters significantly, noting that a dream about flying could symbolize ambition for a noble but might predict instability for a commoner. This understanding of cultural relativity was remarkably advanced for its time, as Artemidorus stated that "you must account for the culture of the dreamer in interpreting the signs".
The work's social dimensions extend beyond mere interpretation techniques. The Oneirocritica presents a kaleidoscopic picture of the Greco-Roman mind, religious beliefs, social and moral values, sexual norms, and the hopes and fears of ordinary people regarding marriage, children, sex, travel, business, debt, unemployment, slavery, sickness, and death. Through detailed dream examples, modern readers gain access to the anxieties and aspirations of people from all walks of life, from fishermen dreaming of nets to slaves dreaming of freedom and merchants fearing shipwrecks.
Structural Organization and Pedagogical Design
The first three volumes were intended for the general public, providing an encyclopedic treatment of dream interpretation, while the remaining two volumes were written for the private use of the author's son, a novice dream interpreter. This pedagogical structure demonstrates Artemidorus' understanding of knowledge transmission and professional development. Book 4 provides a handy recapitulation of basic classification and main principles of interpretation, while Book 5 compiles 95 indicative practical examples of dreams and their outcomes for his son to use as practice material.
The educational approach reveals sophisticated understanding of skill development. Artemidorus distinguished between dreams (oneiroi) and visions, writing about this distinction in other works and noting that dream interpretation requires understanding of specific techniques and principles. His practical examples often showed how the same dream could have different meanings for different people, such as a pregnant woman dreaming of giving birth to a serpent, which resulted in children becoming a public speaker, priest, or prophet depending on family circumstances.
Enduring Influence and Modern Relevance
The Oneirocritica's influence extends far beyond ancient scholarship, establishing interpretive principles that resonate throughout Western intellectual history. Freud admired Artemidorus, describing the Oneirocritica as 'the most complete and painstaking study of dream-interpretation as practised in the Greco-Roman world' and insisting on affinities between that work and his own. This connection highlights how ancient methodological approaches anticipated modern psychological insights about the relationship between unconscious symbolism and conscious meaning.
Dream-interpreters were in business, and dream-books a popular genre, because in the ancient world it was widely believed that some dreams had allegorical or riddling significance which, if properly interpreted, gave insight into the future. While contemporary readers may approach dreams differently, Artemidorus' emphasis on empirical observation, cultural context, and individual circumstances remains relevant for understanding the complex relationship between symbolic experience and personal meaning. His work stands as a testament to the universal human desire to understand the mysterious landscape of dreams and their connection to waking life, establishing methodological principles that continue to inform dream analysis and symbolic interpretation across cultures and centuries.