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Full Description
Germanicus Caesar died young of a mysterious illness; one of his political enemies was charged with murder by poison. The quaestio de sicariis et veneficis was a Roman court designed specifically to hear charges of murder by knifings and poisonings. In busy years the court was presided over by two judges: one for knifings, the other for poisonings, yet little modern scholarship had been attempted on this dedicated court of law. Through exploring this legal history of poison, Poisons in the Roman World proves that poisons have a rich history at Rome, forming a distinct aspect of Roman society. Keeping in mind the ambiguity, the complexity of the lore, the paranoia and the anecdotal, through original research Cheryl Golden uncovers evidence that the threat of murder and accidental death by poison created serious legal concerns for the Roman World. Poisons aided farmers, soldiers, doctors and homemakers, were a legal concern in the market place, in family law and for the Roman constitution. The medical history of Rome shows significant care regarding drugs, cures (both simple and complex), aphrodisiacs, pesticides and snakebites. Examining evidence from the history of Rome's transition from Republic to Empire, this study offers a fresh approach to the investigation of one of the most important transitional periods in western history.
Contents
Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Toxic Terminology 2. The Natural History of Poison at Rome 3. The Professions of Poison 4. Heresy and Hysteria: The Evidence for Poison in the Early Republic 5. The Use and Abuse of the lex Cornelia de sicariis et veneficis 6. Poison in the Principate: The Role of the Senate 7. Purple Poison: The Julio-Claudian Court Conclusion Appendix I. Poisons Found in the Works of Nicander Appendix II. Poison References in the Works of Suetonius Appendix III. Poison References in the Works of Tacitus Appendix IV. Tacitus and the Poisoning of Germanicus and Drusus Bibliography
