Searching for neurological diseases in the Julio-Claudian dynasty of the Roman Empire

Abstract

The gens Julia was one of the oldest families in ancient Rome, whose members reached the highest positions of power. They made history because Julius Caesar, perpetual dictator, great-uncle of the first emperor, Augustus, passed his name on to the Julio-Claudian dynasty with the emperors Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius and Nero. Descriptions of the diseases of these emperors and some of his family members may indicate diagnoses such as epilepsy, dystonia, dementia, encephalitis, neurosyphilis, peripheral neuropathies, dyslexia, migraine and sleep disorders. In the historical context of ancient Rome, the possibility of infectious diseases related to the libertine way of life is quite large. However, there is a possibility that some of these diseases occurred from genetic transmission.

Caligula: a neuropsychiatric explanation of his madness

“…There are several details in Caligula's biography that support this argument. It has been suggested that members of the Julius family suffered from epilepsy 2,8 . Additionally, several historians point out that, during his childhood, Caligula had episodes of sudden falls in which he lost consciousness and had difficulty remaining upright 3,7,11 .…”

“…a "disorder of intellect" and experienced anxiety and insomnia. However, regardless of the nature of the disease, most historians have concluded that Caligula's illness affected his mental health and caused the personality changes that he experienced after his recovery 1,2,3,5,6,7,8,9,10 . After his nearfatal illness, he became an alcoholic, believed he was a deity, and, moreover, he became paranoid about the risk of assassination, which led him to sentence Gemellus and Macro to death 1,2,3,5,6,7,8,9,10,11 .…”

“…However, regardless of the nature of the disease, most historians have concluded that Caligula's illness affected his mental health and caused the personality changes that he experienced after his recovery 1,2,3,5,6,7,8,9,10 . After his nearfatal illness, he became an alcoholic, believed he was a deity, and, moreover, he became paranoid about the risk of assassination, which led him to sentence Gemellus and Macro to death 1,2,3,5,6,7,8,9,10,11 . Finally, after all the eccentric behavior Caligula displayed in his short period of government, he was assassinated in 41 CE at the age of 28 years 1,2 .…”

Neurological and Neuropsychiatric Diseases through the Lens of Roman Sculpture

“…Nonetheless, official portraits of Roman emperors have been used to support paleopathological diagnoses of neurological diseases among members of the Julio-Claudian dynasty (Camargo 2018). Such investigation has mainly focused on the figures of Gaius (Caligula) and Nero, both described as mentally ill in ancient historiography.…”