Hektoen International

A Journal of Medical Humanities

Tag: Suetonius

  • Why did the chickens refuse to eat before the Roman defeat at Deprana (249 BC)?

    Andrew N. WilliamsLeicester, England The Roman defeat by Carthage during the First Punic War at the naval battle of Deprana (or Drepanum, modern Trapani) is also remembered for its preceding event of the refusal of the sacred chickens onboard the Roman flagship to eat. Witnessing this unfavourable omen, the Roman commander and consul Publius Claudius…

  • A detailed depiction of a “crime scene” circa 1455

    Daniel GelfmanIndianapolis, Indiana, United States The use of forensic science to determine the etiology and manner of death has been attempted for millennia. Early autopsies involved inspection of the deceased individual and possibly an internal examination. The performance of autopsies has been greatly influenced by religious and political forces.1 There is a record of the…