In Ancient Rome, those with the disease we know as epilepsy could be taken to the arena and be provided with a cure that would cause even today’s readers to stop and think twice before trying it. According to accounts given by Romans of that time, many of these individuals drank the warm blood of fallen gladiators. The Romans believed that when someone was killed violently, that act created a powerful force to eliminate physical illness or disease.
Pliny the Elder’s writings are among the most well-known of this practice; indeed, Pliny stated that gladiator blood was “like the draught of life.” However we know that Pliny did not recommend gladiator blood as a cure for epilepsy; instead he wrote about his disgust for this practice. The same passage in which Pliny discussed gladiator blood included comments on why this treatment is terrible, the need for treatment of epilepsy, and the impact that the gladiatorial blood had on people’s lives.
