#MAREMonday 05

On 03.05.2021 we present the fifth session of our online lecture series with a contribution by

Pascal Hoffman
(Universität Heidelberg)

Diseases and Health Risks of Roman Sailors

Abstract:

Like every physically intense work environment, ancient seafaring is associated with specific risks to sailors‘ health and well-being. This goes beyond the mere chance of accident and drowning, as it is frequently shown in Roman art. It includes toxins, fires, food poisoning, dehydration, bone fractures, diseases and other hazards. Some of those are attested in Roman sources, some can be illustrated by archaeological finds, and many can only be inferred from modern comparisons, whose value for classical studies will be hard to determine.
This contribution will present some findings from an ongoing PhD project about the living conditions of Roman seamen. It draws from pictorial evidence, ancient texts, and a survey of osteoarchaeological and modern medical literature to illuminate a part of the circumstances under which ancient seafaring, often hailed as the most complex and daring social enterprise of its time, took place and how it could have a physical impact on sailors and society. An additional question will thus be which influence the heterotopia of seafaring had in inscribing a material difference in sailors, rendering them distinct from wider society.