Introduction to Papers from the Conference Dionysius' Ear: Trauma, Tragedy, and Psychoanalytic Listening

Abstract

In this paper I describe the origin and spirit of the meeting of about 200 European, Israeli, and American psychoanalysts for a week in Siracusa, Sicily, to consider our work as embedded in our Greco-Roman cultural roots while we reveled, Dionysius-like, in that culture in many forms: drama, archeology, food, wine, and music. Organized by five institutes and hosted by ISIPSé (Rome), in June 2004, this meeting revolved around evening performances of Medea and Oedipus Rex in the ancient Greek theater and was entitled “Dionysius' Ear: Trauma, Tragedy, and Psychoanalytic Listening.”