The most well-known animal phobias today do not appear in ancient sources (only fear of snakes and mice); arachnophobia does not show up in the extant texts

Fear, disgust, hate: negative emotions evoked by animals in ancient literature. Lucyna Kostuch. History of Psychiatry, May 19, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1177/0957154X211064954

Abstract: Ancient literature contains thoughts, observations and opinions about animals causing fear, disgust or hate that can be of great interest to scientists researching the problem of phobias, fears and anxieties in history. So in this article, it is argued that we can go as far back as ancient times in the research on the history of animal phobias (or, speaking more generally, in research on the entire spectrum of negative emotions evoked by animals in individuals or in entire social groups or societies). In that period, the phenomenon was observed and described in an anecdotal form, and attempts to establish the causes of this phenomenon were undertaken. This article discusses these early ideas about phobias, fears and anxieties related to animals.

Keywords: Ancient literature, animals, anxiety, disgust, fear, hate, phobias