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WThat series ran in the70s. I was in my residency working 120 hrs/ wk--not much time for TV. FWIW- the Wiki article claims Claudius suffered from weakness, particularly of the legs, and had nervous twitches of the head-- consistent with the myopathy and tremors seen in hyperthyroidism. You're right about medical problems of the ancients, not so much that they were exotic, but that without treatment they were carried to extremes not seen often today. These days, I try to avoid watching anything shown on the Propaganda Broadcasting System.

Interesting question about the oddly shaped neck depicted......Goiter was still endemic in the backwoods of southern Italy at my last visit 45 y/a, caused by Iodine deficiency, but easily avoided by even occasional ingestion of seafood. One only needs to replace about 5 mg over the course of a lifetime. Fish was probably a regular component of an emperor's diet. Goiter from deficiency would be unlikely. Goiter from hypothyroidism is a possibility, but.... A search for "images of Claudius" shows us many statues, none of which show a goiter, but all seem to show a long neck. One can speculate on how much license the sculptors took to depict the emperor in an aesthetically pleasing way....I wonder if the coins, focusing on just the head & neck, accentuating an actually long neck, give an anatomically exaggerated view of the sternocleidomastoid muscle....explaining why that swelling is positioned so far laterally/posteriorly from where a goiter would expected? Other causes of swelling in the neck would include lymphoma, untreated often causing bulky adenopathy, with a median survival in excess of 5 yrs-- long enough to live to be poisoned later.

Thank you for reading my post. Some people believe the swelling depicted in Claudius’ neck was indicative of his having a goiter. https://www.forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php?topic=26074.0&srsltid=AfmBOopzs5D_su_nC993MbXUWT5BQHFP7enx_Fbxdmhsbvsp4mefTjoc A goiter is caused by an iodine deficiency. The thyroid requires iodine for normal function so it enlarges if there is an iodine deficiency to capture all the iodine it can. Below is a picture of someone with a goiter Compare the picture above with this other coin of Claudius (from Wildwinds.com) Of course, no one knows for sure, but it is an interesting observation. Addendum: It’s interesting to see the progression of neck swelling of Nero as he grew older (and fatter).

Here’s an article discussing various mental and physical health metrics across different regions of Germany. It notes that the southern areas, influenced by Roman rule, score higher. The Legacy of the Roman Empire in Germany: A Surprising Study Reveals How It Influences the Current Well-Being of Regions Roma Eterna? Roman Rule Explains Regional Well-Being Divides in Germany - ScienceDirect

For some reason, a "reply" option does not appear after that original post, but it's an interesting question deserving of contemplation. We could present a plausable arguement that a tendency to take captives is a behavior pattern innate to humans and helped improve chances of survival for our species when our numbers were few, helping to avoid the pitfalls of inbreeding. Concerning ancient Rome and slavery- a few thoughts-- Hollywood has tainted our views. While Romans had the legal power & rights of "paterfamilias," the ultimate power of life or death was rarely exercised. Slaves were generally treated well, often playing integral roles in the household, including companionship as well as nursemaid/governess/teacher. Roman slaves were often given wages/"spending money"above and beyond room & board, and were oftrn in a position to take on extra work for pay outside the household. It was not at all unusual for slaves to buy their own freedom. Freedmen wore a felt hat (the pileus) somewhat like a modern fez.....The largest, most ostentatious tomb sitting in a very prominent position just outside the gates of Pompeii was built for a freedman who became quite wealthy. The more menial tasks including construction work was accomplished by slaves as well as by citizens. Cf- recent discoveries showing that the Great Pyramids of Egypt were constructed mostly by citizens, not slaves as previously thought....Those jobs needed to be done by large numbers of people whether they were paid or not. Either way, their room & board needed to be covered, so it's really just a paper shuffle of how that got done and the poor masses needed to earn a living.

Interesing find. "Solidus" is Latin for solid, as in "not hollow." Apparently the name was applied to gold coins first issued by Constantine....and in modern Italian vernacular, "soldi' is the term for "loose change." I guess inflation has always been a problem.

"... explore the breathtaking ancient city of Termessos, enjoying its mostly Roman-period architecture. This city is situated almost absurdly high in the mountains of modern-day Turkey, which kept it preserved for over 1700 years, untouched by looters or restoration."

I dunno-- I think Philipson is right......The study of Latin obviously helps in understanding western culture, whose roots lie with the Romans, and no doubt makes the study of Romance languages a little easier for those of us who don't speak a Romance language.....but.... I don't think knowing Latin helped much at all in studying anatomy- the only discipline in med school using Latin at all........ ...and many Latin terms used in Law make no sense at all...Eg-- habeas corpus (might you have a body... What the heck does that mean?) should be habes captivum-- do you have the prisoner

The typical Roman has elven facial features, short black or brown hair (for men), fair or olive skin (changes tonne with season), a broad brow, deep eye sockets, high-bridged aquiline Roman nose, round or large almond blue or brown eyes (eye colours can vary), shorter shaved face or short moustache & goatee, medium rosey lips, deep facial depth on side, prominent cheek-bones, raised long straight chiseled jaw and smaller round head. They usually have light olive skin, in summer and pale skin in winter. Their Roman nose could be a natural adaptation to smell where the enemy is located in battle. The typical Romans also have broad shoulders, a muscular Roman statuesque body, as well as strong biceps and calves. This could be inherited from the Roman legions who had to march from Rome to Britain as part of their military training. They are usually around 150-170 cm tall. The typical Romans usually had Roman feet with the first three toes at the same length-possibly as a natural adaptation to give them more stability as they worked hard and marched around a lot. The typical Romans ideally have almost flawless physical proportions, except that many have ears that stick out a bit. This could be a natural adaptation to help them hear better, especially when wearing a Roman helmet. The typical Romans looked like many modern-day Italians, especially from Naples, Lazio, Tuscany, Sicily and Calabria. They also looked like the typical Greeks. The difference was that the Greeks' face was usually longer and their nose was usually straighter. The typical Roman was more common in ancient Rome, before the barbarians invaded and unfortunately polluted their blood-making more of them look more typically foreign. I know all this because I have observed the common physical traits exclusive to hundreds of modern Romans. They don't look much different from the ancient Roman portraits and statues of Romans. Link to what typical Romans generally look like: https://www.google.com/search?client=ms-android-samsung-ss&sca_esv=558714157&sxsrf=AB5stBjkhoyzPdtfDftQGjQIT4sYgCmUvQ:1692610383270&q=roman+phenotype&tbm=isch&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi35IyFue2AAxW-pVYBHc5SCmQQ0pQJegQIChAB&biw=384&bih=718&dpr=2.81#imgrc=-plQ53jFy1UY7M&imgdii=D2w1coIzns4n4M (It should be noted that some Romans in the link look more typical of Greeks and Germans).