Roman soldiers garrisoned at the fort of Vindolanda, located near Hadrian's Wall in northern England, were riddled with parasites that sapped their fighting fitness.
In addition to lice-infested tunics and runny noses, Rome's military might have dealt with chronic gut infections that caused diarrhea, stomach cramps, and nausea, according to a jointly performed archaeological study by researchers from Cambridge and Oxford.
"While the Romans were aware of intestinal worms, there was little their doctors could do to clear infection by these parasites or help those experiencing diarrhea, meaning symptoms could persist and worsen," says Marissa Ledger, an archaeologist at McMaster University in Canada who co-led the study while completing her PhD at Cambridge.
"These chronic infections likely weakened soldiers, reducing fitness for duty. Helminths alone can cause nausea, cramping, and diarrhea."
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