A Latin phrase meaning 'the self-tormentor,' especially referring to Terence's famous Roman comedy play of that name, or more broadly, someone who torments or punishes themselves.
From Latin-Greek 'heauto-' (self) plus 'timōruminous' (tormenting). Originally the title of Terence's 163 BCE play, it became a term for self-imposed suffering or self-flagellation, both literal and metaphorical.
Terence's play 'Heautontimorumenos' was wildly popular in Renaissance Europe—scholars loved that its very title expressed the protagonist's flaw. The word became shorthand for anyone stuck in cycles of self-punishment, making it a literary diagnosis.
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