Ancient Sources on the Use of Lead-Based Products and Recognition of Lead Intoxication in Greco-Roman Antiquity

Comparatively easy for mining and processing, lead is one of the metals that had been widely used during Antiquity. It was present in two different forms – the metal was either extracted from the primary galena ore, or it appeared as a secondary product. Apart from its application as a manufacturing material for water installations and household vessels, lead was also used as an ingredient for medicines and cosmetics. The metal was used at such massive scale, that according to some contemporary authors, lead poisoning caused the decline and consequently the fall of the Roman Empire. This theory exists along with the contradictive statement that the ancient people were aware of the danger, and the first person to describe lead poisoning was Hippocrates in 4th century BC. The present study will explore the evidence in a few selected ancient texts. We will discuss the use of lead-containing products in Antiquity, based on the proof in the original sources, and then we will try to answer the primary question – was there a conscious awareness of the lead poisoning during Antiquity. As a secondary query yet relevant to the matters of lead usage and poisoning, this research will attempt to clarify the question of who the first to describe lead poisoning was, and when the term saturnism was first applied as a medical diagnosis. This study is based on both selected contemporary research and key sources from ancient authors, and it also offers quotations as fundamental evidence.