Were So Many Roman Emperors Crazy Due To Lead Poisoning?
An infected culture or a poisoned body?
Many Roman emperors were hard to distinguish from patients in a psychiatric ward.
Names like Caligula and Nero held this top position, not to mention a circus troop worth of other degenerates. It’s what makes Marcus Aurelius stand out.
Like many with interest in philosophy, I’ve read his Meditations multiple times. It provides a unique view into the mind of an emperor. Although he wasn’t very representative of many who held the position.
His writing shows a man who thought and felt deeply. Moreover, Marcus didn’t love the wealth or pomp of being emperor, it seems like he’d be happier reading quietly. Which makes you wonder why his son Commodus went so bad.
To Marcus’ defense, the boy likely wasn’t his first choice. According to Donald L. Wasson at the World History Encyclopedia, “He was the tenth of fourteen children and the only son to survive.” In fact, eight of the emperor’s children died.
So, Commodus won the throne by default, and ruled the same way. After letting flunkeys run the empire while he screwed around, multiple assassination attempts pushed him into taking the reins of power again.
