’N HERBESKOUING VAN GAIUS (CALIGULA)

  • L. Cilliers Universiteit van die Vrystaat
  • F.P. Retief Universiteit van die Vrystaat
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7445/46-0-118

Abstract

Gaius Iulius Caesar Germanicus Augustus (Caligula) is in antieke tye beskryf as ’n despotiese keiser wie se wreedheid, megalomania en onvoorspelbaarheid toegeskryf is aan kranksinnigheid. Tydens die afgelope eeu het navorsers soos Willrich (1903), Balsdon (1934) en Barrett (1989) na grondige herevaluasie van alle inligting egter tot die gevolgtrekking gekom het dat Caligula se beeld erg verwring is deur antagonistiese geskiedskrywers, dat hy vir sy tyd tog redelik opgetree het, en sekerlik nie as sielsiek beskou kan word nie. Katz (1972) stel ’n diagnose van tirotoksikose voor, en Benediktson (1989) meen dat die simptome op ’n variant van temporale kwab epilepsie dui. Lucas (1967) meen hy was ’n psigopaat en Jerome (1923) vermoed alkoholisme as deel-patologie. Heel onlangs egter publiseer Ferril (1991) weer die mening dat Caligula inderdaad kranksinnig (psigoties) was. Omdat van hierdie outeurs in hul beoordelings redelik arbitrêr en vaag handel met definisies van psigose (kranksinnigheid) en hul onderskeiding van neurose, poog ons in hierdie studie om so wetenskaplik moontlik die getuienis van 2 000 jaar gelede diagnosties te verwerk.
Published
2012-03-30
Issue
Vol. 46 (2001)
Section
Articles

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