Ancient Roman emperor Caligula had an unexpected interest in medicinal plants, historians find

Caligula, the ancient Roman emperor infamous for his insanity and cruelty, may have had a soft spot for plants, according to recently published research.

A new study co-authored by Trevor Luke, a professor of classics at Florida State University, centers on an overlooked anecdote by the Roman historian Suetonius involving Caligula and an ailing senator.

The account indicates that the unnamed Roman senator traveled to the Greek town of Antikyra to be treated with the medicinal plant hellebore, which is now considered poisonous.