Ancient Roman Serial Killers: The Poison Ring
The main story for this poisoning comes from Livy’s “History of Rome” 8.3-11 and takes place in the year 331 BCE.
WHAT: THE GREAT SICKNESS OR POISONING?
One thing, however, I should be glad to believe had been falsely handed down —and indeed not all the authorities avouch it —namely, that those whose deaths made the year notorious for pestilence were in reality destroyed by poison; still, I must set forth the story as it comes to us, that I may not deprive any writer of his credit. [4] when the leading citizens were falling ill with the same kind of malady, which had, in almost every case the same fatal termination, a certain serving —woman [5] came to Quintus Fabius Maximus, the curule aedile, and declared that she would reveal the cause of the general calamity if he would give her a pledge that she should not suffer for her testimony.