Lost_Warrior Posted April 19, 2006 Report Share Posted April 19, 2006 I heard today at school that Caesar suffered from syphillus...now I knew about the epilepsy, but is there anything historically to support the syphillus claim? Or was it simply concocted by the speaker on STDs to..."educate" us? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Furius Venator Posted April 19, 2006 Report Share Posted April 19, 2006 I have never read anything to that effect. It is possible that some of the emperors may have suffered from STDs, mind you I'm not entirely certain how long syphilus has been around... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M. Porcius Cato Posted April 19, 2006 Report Share Posted April 19, 2006 This sounds like complete bunk to me. Send a letter to the lecturer's boss letting him know that you want your money back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princeps Posted April 19, 2006 Report Share Posted April 19, 2006 I agree, sounds like typical no-proof sensationalism type history. What evidence was presented? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lost_Warrior Posted April 19, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2006 Absolutely no evidence lol. I was going to ask but we were running short on time. (And I didn't pay for the lecture lol. I was made to sit through it at school. But at least it was mildly entertaining) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M. Porcius Cato Posted April 19, 2006 Report Share Posted April 19, 2006 Absolutely no evidence lol. I was going to ask but we were running short on time. (And I didn't pay for the lecture lol. I was made to sit through it at school. But at least it was mildly entertaining) I'd still complain to someone or another. Feedback is the only way this kind of nonsense can get weeded out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lost_Warrior Posted April 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 I really don't know who to complain to lol. What we can be sure of though, is that since this is a high school, maybe only one person out of the entire audience will actually remember. I wonder how many classes she told that to though, as she gave that lecture several times today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tobias Posted April 20, 2006 Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 Hmm, sounds like an interesting authority on history, that lecturer. Was she supposed to be a very respected personage? If not, perhaps you could tell her a thing or two about history, Lost Warrior Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lost_Warrior Posted April 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 She was the "nurse of STDs" she had nothing to do with history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neos Dionysos Posted April 20, 2006 Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 I love how people trying to force feed information down the throats of grade school and high school kids always try to use some infamous person from history to get thier point across, usually completely making it up. If she truely believes that, then she is probably drawing that 'knowledge' from the fact Caesar had such a public image as being a ladies man. This reminds me of a lecturer back when I was a freshman in HS, the person used Alexander the Great as an example not to drink under age and not to use drugs which he had gotten along his campagins into Asia and Africa. While Alexander was well known to drink in excess, the person claimed he died of an overdose of drugs and heavy drinking, that it acted like a posion. Now, last I checked, Alexander was no druggie... On the sphyllus matter, I thought it was around during ancient times, orginating in Europe and is not the "Indian's Revenge" as once thought... though I'm trying to remember where I was told this so do not hold me too it as I to am doubting it but thought I should throw it out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tobias Posted April 20, 2006 Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 (edited) She was the "nurse of STDs" she had nothing to do with history. Hence my "interesting authority on history" description Edited April 20, 2006 by Tobias Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Dalby Posted April 20, 2006 Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 I heard today at school that Caesar suffered from syphillus...now I knew about the epilepsy, but is there anything historically to support the syphillus claim? Or was it simply concocted by the speaker on STDs to..."educate" us? Maybe a medical historian will contradict me, but I thought the general opinion was that syphilis was completely unknown in Europe, Asia and Africa until Columbus's voyages, after which it rapidly spread (for some reason ...), initially via Spanish soldiers who were fighting in Italy. There are lots of interesting facts and near-facts about Caesar, but not this one. I think you should give this teacher a photocopy of the relevant pages from Suetonius, as an encouragement to stick closer to the evidence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Furius Venator Posted April 20, 2006 Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 Maybe a medical historian will contradict me, but I thought the general opinion was that syphilis was completely unknown in Europe, Asia and Africa until Columbus's voyages, after which it rapidly spread (for some reason ...), initially via Spanish soldiers who were fighting in Italy. Opinion actually seems very divided as to this. No proof either way. (I had a bit of a web search and there seems to be support for both Columbian and pre-Columbian theories). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lost_Warrior Posted April 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 The thing is, I'll probably never see this person again, as I don't plan on contracting any...diseases and I really wasn't listening to the part where she told us how we could contact her as an interesting side note, she also told us that syphillus was the cause of Van Gogh's cutting off his own ear. I suppose it is possible that she got Caesar's epilepsy confused with the mental effects of an advanced case of syphillus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Germanicus Posted April 20, 2006 Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 Van Gogh and syphillus is more credible, with all the time that guy spent in brothels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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