Conny Waters – AncientPages.com – A recent study suggests that the Roman Emperor Caligula, often remembered for his notorious bloodlust, may have possessed a considerable understanding of medicine.

This finding emphasizes an interesting aspect of Caligula’s knowledge that contrasts with his infamous reputation.

Researchers will analyze the phytochemicals in plant specimens they recently collected from the Greek landscape to test their efficacy in relation to their ancient reputations. Source

He stands as the sole Roman emperor whose name is associated with both the plant hellebore and the ancient Greek town of Antikyra. These associations are documented by a Roman historian, Suetonius (c. AD 69 – after AD 122), who wrote during the early Imperial era of the Roman Empire, in “The Twelve Caesars,” a second-century collection of biographies of Roman rulers from Julius Caesar to Domitian. Suetonius refer to a Roman senator of the Praetorian rank, who was granted a leave of absence due to his deteriorating health, according to the study.

In the story, an unnamed Roman senator of praetorian rank who is suffering from an unspecified ailment takes a leave of absence to the Greek spa town of Antikyra in hopes that his health will benefit from treatments made from hellebore — a flowering plant purported to have medicinal properties. The senator, perhaps pressing his luck, asks Caligula to extend his leave. In response, the emperor has the hapless senator executed, quipping that “a bloodletting was necessary for one whom hellebore had not benefited in all that time.”

Yale scholars, combining ethnobotanical field data with thorough analysis of ancient texts, present a novel interpretation of the passage. They explain Antikyra’s significance within the Roman Empire and shed light on Caligula’s specific knowledge of pharmacology.

“Our work suggests that Antikyra functioned as a kind of Mayo Clinic of the Roman world — a place where affluent and influential Romans visited for medical treatments not widely available elsewhere,” said co-author Andrew Koh, who is YAPP’s principal investigator and a research scientist at the Yale Peabody Museum. “It also provides evidence that Caligula, while a tyrant, was more knowledgeable about medicine than has been previously understood.”

Situated on the Gulf of Corinth in central Greece’s Phocis region, Roman Antikyra was a small port town renowned for its unique hellebore treatments. In ancient times, hellebore was prized for its use as a purgative and as a treatment for epilepsy and mental illness. Researchers have noted that ancient texts describe two types of hellebore: white hellebore, used for head ailments, and black hellebore, used to cleanse the bowels.

The Roman Emperor Caligula, infamous for his cruelty, had a firm grasp of the medicinal remedies of his day, according to a new study. Photo © Egisto Sani. Licensed through Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 2.0

Studying historical uses of hellebore poses challenges because ancient peoples did not adhere to modern taxonomic classifications. They often referred to various plants as “hellebore,” leading to confusion. Additionally, plant identifications evolved over time and across regions, causing discrepancies in plant names.

Adding to the complexity is the fact that local naturalists in contemporary Greece identify plants differently than those described in ancient sources. For instance, researchers point out that an herbalist in today’s Antikyra—a small fishing village—identified “elleboro” as dwarf elderberry, which is entirely different from the hellebore mentioned in historical texts.

The researchers have concluded that it is improbable that hellebore grew in sufficient quantities around ancient Antikyra to support large-scale production of herbal medicines. Presently, the nearest substantial stands of hellebore they identified are situated over 2,500 feet above sea level on the southern slopes of Mount Helicon, southeast of Antikyra. The hellebore specimens they found closely resemble those depicted in ancient sources.

Although not a prolific source of the plant, Antikyra was renowned for the perceived efficacy of its unique medicinal hellebore potions, which were employed to treat conditions such as melancholy, insanity, epilepsy, and gout. Some potions from Antikyra included another plant referred to as sesamoides in ancient texts—a special ingredient that made these purgatives safer for consumption. The researchers referenced an Antikyran medicinal recipe described by Pliny to support this claim.

By the early first century BCE, Romans had become aware of Antikyra’s reputation for particularly effective hellebore potions due to Greek physicians migrating to Rome and an active trade in Greek literature.

“It is noteworthy that Antikyra is mentioned in historical records despite never being a significant cultural or economic hub,” stated Luke. “It was recognized primarily for its hellebore treatments and little else. This serves as an example of ancient medical tourism; Roman elites traveled there for treatments much like today’s affluent individuals visit Rochester, Minnesota, seeking advanced medical techniques and therapies at the Mayo Clinic.”

Luke and Koh suggest that the spa town held a personal allure for Caligula, as they believe he may have suffered from an ailment that Antikyran potions were thought to cure. The researchers are now set to analyze the phytochemicals in samples recently collected from the Greek landscape.

Their goal is to assess these compounds’ capacity and biochemical interactions, comparing them with their ancient reputations. Koh emphasizes the importance of collaborating closely with Trevor, a leading historian of ancient Rome, which provides a solid humanistic base for their scientific endeavors. In return, YAPP’s research offers historians fresh insights into long-studied ancient texts. Suetonius’ biography of Caligula stands out because it is divided into two parts: one detailing his background and rise to power, and another focusing on his erratic behavior.

A view of modern Antikyra. Image credit: YAPP

While not attempting to redeem Caligula’s image entirely, the researchers highlight that he was likely more educated than Suetonius’ accounts suggest. They reference Philo of Alexandria’s depiction of Caligula as an emperor with substantial practical knowledge in areas such as trade routes and seamanship. Despite being one of his harshest critics, Philo also notes how Caligula misused Apollo’s art of medicine for harmful purposes, indicating that he had significant pharmacological expertise, according to the researchers.

Some accounts demonstrate that Caligula, who has a reputation as an enthusiastic poisoner, indeed possessed a deep knowledge of poisons and antidotes. They note that Caligula was convinced that his father, Germanicus, had succumbed to poisoning, which would have motivated him to study pharmacology if only out of paranoia about suffering a similar fate.

Caligula knew of hellebore remedies, which were believed to treat epilepsy, insanity, and insomnia. His reference to bloodletting when joking about a senator suggests he had read Celsus’s medical treatise, “De Medicina,” written during Tiberius’s reign. This text prescribes bloodletting as an alternative to hellebore for treating epilepsy.

“It’s possible that Suetonius is wrong, and that Caligula wasn’t ordering the man’s execution but simply prescribing an alternative treatment that he had read about or knew from his own experience,” Luke said. “We’re presenting a more complete and well-rounded version of Caligula as a ruler who was in tune with the medical wisdom of his day. He’s dismissed as a madman, perhaps rightly so, but we show he very likely knew something about hellebore and pharmacology in general.”

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(The study was also co-authored by Trevor Luke, a YAPP faculty affiliate and associate professor of classics at Florida State University.)

Written by Conny Waters – AncientPages.com Staff Writer