WERE THE ROMAN EMPERORS CLAUDIUS AND VITELLIUS BULIMIC

Objective: to investigate the eating habits of Romans during the first two centuries A.D. and their attitudes towards these eating habits in the light of contemporary Latin literary and historical sources and i nfluential Greek medical sources. Method: An extensive search of sourc es on the Roman Empire and emperors in the first two centuries A.D. wa s carried out. Two historical cases of binging and self-induced vomiti ng, namely the Emperors Claudius and Vitellius, were identified and de scribed in translated extracts from the original Latin source. Discuss ion: it is noted that cultural and social factors are important influe nces on eating habits which would now be considered pathological. (C) 1996 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.