Romos Philyras’ “My Life in the Dromokaiteion”: an Early Pathography

This paper discusses My Life in the Dromokaiteion by the Greek poet Romos Philyras (1898-1942). Reading the text within the scope of the medical humanities, brings out Philyras’ work as an early example of pathography or autopathography. The story revolves around the poet’s admission to the psychiatric hospital and how he experienced his days there. He describes his emotions, the hospital environment, other patients, their treatment and the nursing staff. Philyras’ text is a first-person narrative on how people with mental health problems see their new social setting, but also how doctors and nurses see patients.  My Life in the Dromokaiteion is an autobiographical account which eloquently describes not only the distance between the nursing staff and patients, but also the distance between inside society (the patients of the hospital) and outside society.