Caligula. An excess of lead may have contributed to the "madness" of many Roman emperors
lead poisoning it may have been the cause of the madness of many Roman emperors ?
This is only a hypothesis, but according to some scholars it is entirely plausible.
In fact, an excessive presence of this metal in the body causes not only impotence in the male sex ( see https://www.pilloledistoria.it/2868/storia-antica/gli-antichi-romani-erano-impotenti-per-colpa-dellacqua), but also has a poisonous action on the nervous system.
In fact, the Roman emperors, so to speak, bizarre, cannot be counted: Nero, Caligula, Eliogabalo and Commodus are just some of the best known for their excesses.
A daily source of lead was water pipes, around which, however, a crust of limestone was created in a short time that protected them.
The greatest danger came from wine.
This drink, very popular in Rome, was contained in special and special barrels full of lead , which helped to give it a special sweetish flavor.
Most emperors drank wine every day and this could have contributed to their mental health.