Menstrual Blood in Ancient Rome: An Unspeakable Impurity?
This article examines the language and power associated with menstrual blood in Roman literature, focusing primarily on the issue of ritual impurity.
Pliny, Nero, and the 'Emerald'
One notes here that Pliny does not actually explain why Nero should have preferred to watch the games in this way. The temptation is to assume that he must have been suffering from some sort of eye-condition, whether temporary or permanent, which he thought that he could relieve in this way, not least because the colour green was believed to be soothing to the eyes.
The Medical Use of Cannabis Among the Greeks and Romans
This paper is intended to update our knowledge of the medical use of canna- bis in the Classical world, a topic on which the only serious discussion is Brun- ner 1973
Suetonius and the Death of Pliny the Elder
This account of Pliny the Elder
Herbal medicine in ancient Egypt
In this review we spot some light on Ancient Egyptian medicine particularly herbal remedies and prescriptions to prove that they are in fact the basis of our natural medicine.
Poisons, Poisoning and the Drug Trade in Ancient Rome
The first recorded instance of poisoning in ancient Rome occurred in 331 BC when, during an epidemic, a large number of women were accused of concerted mass poisoning.
Roman sumptuary legislation of the Republican Era C. 200-100 B.C.
Between the end of the Second Punic War and the beginning of the Social War the Roman Senate proposed and the voters passed a number of laws and regulations concemed with private life and public display, among them at least four restricting the cost of provisioning and the number of guests allowed at private banquets.
The eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79 and the death of Gaius Plinius Secundus
The effect of the volcanic eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79, which led inter alia to the death of Pliny the Elder, is reviewed.
Lead Poisoning in Ancient Rome
Lead was known to the ancients from at least the 4th millennium BC, but its use increased markedly during Roman times, to the extent that it became a health hazard. Mines and foundry furnaces caused air pollution; lead was extensively used in plumbing; domestic utensils were made of lead and pewter, and lead salts were used in cosmetics, medicines and paints.
Suetonius and his treatment of the Emperor Domitian's favourable accomplishments
Suetonius’ negative portrayal of emperors was not limited to Domitian. Emperors Tiberius, Gaius, Claudius, Nero and Vitellius also received negative portrayal in accordance with the senatorial influence and damnatio memoriae evident in the literature of the period. This attitude towards these condemned emperors matched the views of the senatorial aristocracy who were the patrons of literary commissions and their authors.