'Divine illness' of the Caesar emperor

Unusual behavior of one of the most famous generals in history, Julius Caesar is said to be caused by mild strokes, meaning that the diagnosis at that time was misleading and not right.

The mystery of Julius Caesar's illness

Julius Caesar collapsed during the Battle of Thapsus in 46 BC, forcing officers to rush to take them to the backline to keep the general safe. People at the time thought that this was the result of a seizure - "the holy disease" , based on other symptoms such as dizziness, lightheadedness, limp limbs. Two years later, Roman talented general was assassinated to death in a state of illness; The historian at the time said that in addition to epilepsy, Caesar also had migraines and even malaria. However, the new study hypothesizes that Caesar may suffer from a series of small strokes that affect both mental and physical states.

Painting of Caesar's Death by the artist Vincenzo Camuccini in 1798 - (Photo: ugo.bratelli.free.fr)

Doctors from the Imperial College of London (UK) have drawn this conclusion after studying in a different perspective the symptoms recorded in the literature of Greece and Rome, according to the Guardian.'The ability of Caesar with cardiovascular disease to be rejected is always based on the argument that by the time of his physical death he still appears normal in official and ordinary events,' according to the researchers. However, during the reanalysis, Dr. Francesco Galassi and Hutan Ashrafian surgeon showed that the symptoms of a mild stroke explain more appropriately than epilepsy. For example, the Caesar emperor is recorded with depression at the end of his life, and this may be the result of a stroke caused to the brain.

In the biography of Caesar, the Greek historian Plutarch described the difficult time the leader was fiercely attacked by the nobility at public events. This even happened at the Senate Institute, which is the highest state council in ancient Rome, where the history books document the spectacle of his challenge to anyone who has a liver to kill him. The historian Plutarch said Caesar then poured epilepsy, which caused him to be stunned when standing in front of the crowd.'When diagnosing the general's symptoms, details can be found that Caesar once fell in expeditions in Spain and Africa, particularly in the battle of Cordoba and Thapsus' , according to researchers.

There may be some social reasons why the leader and his chosen successor Octavian think they have epilepsy. In ancient times, epilepsy was thought to be a ' divine illness' in the Greek community, or rather, the commoner thought that such convulsions were 'gods' . In literature, epilepsy often occurs in those who hold power and are subject to divine favor. However, it is clear that the Greek medical community at that time did not suffer from such illusory words, and in fact they knew well about the symptoms that caused seizures. In the dissertation 'Study of the Divine Disease' , Hippocrates clearly states epilepsy, in order to prove that body convulsions do not originate from supernatural forces.

British researchers also noted that both Father Caesar and another family member died without cause. Based on this, they may also have had mild strokes, a genetic condition that can be passed on to the next generation.