Roman Emperors and their Illnesses

A medical reassessment of Roman emperors explores how illness and disability shaped their lives, behavior, and historical reputations.

Medical history has been particularly unkind to some historical figures. The, so-called, 'mad emperors' Caligula, Tiberius and Nero cannot question their various psychiatric diagnoses or request a second opinion. Neither can Maximinus Thrax, Nero or Caligula demand further testing to refute or confirm the suggestions that they all suffered from a type of horm...