Notoriously cruel Roman emperor may have been a plant nerd, archaeologists find
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”.