6 days ago
Caligula was a ‘madman' – but he also knew his plants, researchers say
A new study suggests the notoriously cruel Roman emperor Caligula possessed knowledge of medicinal plants, particularly hellebore.
The research, from Yale Ancient Pharmacology Program, re-examines an anecdote from Suetonius's The Twelve Caesars concerning Caligula's understanding of ancient pharmacology.
The study highlights Antikyra, a Greek spa town, as the " Mayo Clinic of the Roman world", renowned for its hellebore treatments for conditions like epilepsy and mental illnesses.
Researchers propose that Caligula's interest in hellebore may have stemmed from his own suspected struggles with epilepsy and insomnia.
Study author Trevor Luke said Caligula is often 'dismissed as a madman' for his erratic and tyrannical behaviour, but 'he very likely knew something about hellebore and pharmacology in general'.
