This sourcebook compiles a diverse array of passages on sickness and disease in Roman literature. Its twelve thematically organised sections cover topics ranging from the maladies of the emperors to the spells used to ward off ill health. Some sources are paraphrased with footnotes directing readers to the primary texts; others are translated with the original Latin included parenthetically. Imperial Greek sources are also included where relevant. Its primary audience will be historians of medicine and those whose specialisations fall outside the field of Classics. Even those well-versed in the ancient sources, however, will find much of interest in this fascinating compilation of material.
The first and longest section addresses the ailments that afflicted the Roman emperors and their family members. C.M.S. proceeds chronologically from Julius Caesar to Theodosius; the amount of space allotted to each ruler largely depends upon the depth of the respective biographical tradition. We learn that Hadrian's proclivity for bareheaded travel made him susceptible to colds and that Commodus enjoyed bathing seven or eight times a day. Such anecdotes occupy more than a quarter of the sourcebook, reflecting the disproportionate attention paid to the imperial family in the literary tradition. Yet readers are given little guidance in their interpretation. How should we understand these stories in relation to the norms of Roman moralising? Talking about the emperor's body, after all, was a way of talking about his rule. To what extent the reported maladies of the Caesars ought to be taken at face value is a key question left unanswered in these pages.
The second section can be viewed as an extension of the first; C.M.S. remains concerned with the ailments of individuals, but broadens her focus beyond the imperial family. Figures like Seneca the Younger, whose letters detail fluctuations in his health, and Sulla, whose death by phthiriasis garnered notoriety in the Roman world, receive the fullest treatment. Most individuals, however, are covered in a sentence or two; we learn that the poet Helvius Cinna became feverish the night before Caesar's funeral and that jaundice and scabies crop up in Persius’ Satires. Unfortunately, these colourful tales are difficult to navigate due to the inconsistencies of their alphabetical organisation. Readers will find Marcus Licinius Crassus under ‘M’ but Marcus Furius Camillus under ‘F’. Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus can be found under ‘G’ but Gnaeus Julius Agricola under ‘A’. Those seeking information on a specific historical figure will have little choice but to flip through the pages.
The remaining sections are shorter in length and address recurring themes in ancient medical discourse. Section 3 considers the role of food and wine in aiding and harming health. Although Roman writers were aware of the risks of overindulgence, they also believed that the consumption of wine could cure ailments ranging from fever to cardiac disease. Summarising and synthesising passages drawn from nearly 20 writers, C.M.S. illustrates an impressive command of the source material. A brief fourth section follows on ‘diseases of convenience’, which refer to ailments used as a pretext or excuse for one's behaviour. Such stories reveal how Romans manipulated the rhetoric of illness to serve political, economic and social ends.
C.M.S. adopts a different approach in the fifth section, which focuses on the letters of Cicero and Pliny the Younger. She quotes rather than summarises these passages and includes the original Latin underneath. She explains the shift in relation to the vividness and immediacy of their letters, which convey deep concern for the health of friends and family members. Nearly 90 of Cicero's letters and 40 of Pliny's are excerpted, providing readers with a comprehensive overview of their lived experience of sickness, disease and death in the Roman world. The depth displayed here provides a welcome complement to the breadth illustrated in other sections.
The sixth section explores the role of physicians and their representation in literary sources. It is a truism that Romans were suspicious of doctors, who were often of Greek origin and low in social standing. Such distrust is encapsulated by Pliny the Elder's famous remark that Archagathus, the first professional physician in Rome, was known as the butcher (carnifex) due to his tendency to kill the patients under his care. Even as negative stereotypes abounded, however, Romans also respected and developed close relationships with their doctors. Illuminating this alternative history is a strength of this section, which also goes into detail on the arts of diagnosis and treatment.
The rest of the sourcebook aspires to brevity rather than comprehensiveness. C.M.S. addresses the role of disease imagery in Latin elegy in a single page, referencing Propertius, Tibullus and Ovid. Considering the frequency of analogies between love and sickness in Latin literature, this topic would have benefited from fuller treatment. The next two sections address the seasonal and geographical patterns of illness. Romans associated the hot summer months with the outbreak of pestilence, prompting those with means to flee the city. Caracalla reportedly took advantage of the connection between intemperate weather and ill health by sending his enemies to extreme climates. His practice illustrates the intersection of medical knowledge and political control under the empire.
C.M.S. next considers the maladies suffered by the Roman people. This section provides a counterbalance to the elite focus of previous chapters, which primarily detail the ailments of the governing class. Three chroniclers of daily life come to the fore: Plautus, Cato the Elder and Martial. Eye infections like conjunctivitis and styes emerge as a frequent source of complaint, as do digestive discomfort and cardiac pain. This section might have benefited from placement earlier in the sourcebook to facilitate comparisons between the maladies of the rich and the poor. Nevertheless, it offers a refreshing shift in perspective.
In the final two sections C.M.S. turns to the world of magical formulas and dreams. Her discussion of spells includes quotations from Varro, Pliny the Elder and Aulus Gellius, among others, while her consideration of dreams focuses on Artemidorus of Daldis. Excerpting numerous passages from the Oneirocritica, this section introduces readers to a text with which they will likely be unfamiliar. Rendering such material understandable and approachable to non-experts is a key benefit of this section.
Over the span of its nearly 200 pages, this sourcebook offers an extensive survey of Roman attitudes towards disease and related concepts between the mid-republic and the high empire. Although C.M.S. tends to prioritise comprehensiveness over depth, the encyclopedic collection of material will undoubtedly aid future studies in the history of medicine. For those interested in what the Romans thought about their bodies and the many ailments that afflicted them, this volume is a good place to start.
