Comment by svieira

"Two of the most notable examples from Ancient Rome center on the emperors Vitellius and Claudius who were notorious for their binge eating and purging practices. Historian Suetonius writes that “Above all, however, he [Vitellius] was … always having at least three feasts, sometimes four in a day — breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a drinking party — and easily finding capacity for it all through regular vomiting” (Suetonius, Vit, 13) [1]. Similarly, the emperor Claudius was infamous for never leaving a meal until overfed, after which a feather was placed in his throat to stimulate his gag reflex (Suetonius, Claud, 33) [2]. In his writing, Suetonius takes on a disapproving tone when describing the eating habits of Claudius and Vitellius, as highlighted by the use of words such as “luxury,” “cruelty,” and “stuffed”(Crichton, 204). This tone indicates that although binge eating and purging were accepted, albeit uncommon in Roman culture, the practices were negatively associated with gluttony and a lack of self-control. "

~ Ancient Hunger, Modern World by Solia Valentine

Via: https://escholarship.org/content/qt2594j40t/qt2594j40t_noSpl...

[1]: https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext... [2]: https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:abo:ph...