Caligula, the notoriously erratic Roman emperor known for his bloodthirsty cruelty, probably also possessed a nerd’s knowledge of medicinal plants, according to a new Yale study. The study, by the ...

Doctors are generally held in high regard today, but Romans of the first century were skeptical, even scornful, of medical practitioners, many of whom ministered to ailments they did not understand.

Ancient Romans were big fans of olive oil, consuming an average of five gallons per person per year by one estimate. Beyond ...

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Most people know Caligula as one of history’s most deranged rulers: a bloodthirsty Roman emperor who supposedly made his horse a consul and murdered people for entertainment. But ...

A new study has revolutionized the understanding of ancient medicine by combining modern science with hands-on historical reenactments. Supported by a European Research Council (ERC) grant, the ...

The people of ancient Rome didn’t have access to modern science, but they still developed complex – and incredibly intuitive ...

Discovered on accident in Rimini, Italy, this surgeon’s house and the hooks, scalpels, and mortars inside have expanded what we knew about ancient medicine. A mosaic of Orpheus ringed by animals paves ...

Theriac was the go-to miracle drug for paranoid monarchs from Nero to Elizabeth I—and crafted from ingredients such as opium and viper flesh. A 17th-century watercolor depicts the preparation of ...