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Ancient Romans were obsessed with a plant said to be a contraception and an aphrodisiac. Then one day, it went extinct

Phys · · 887 words · By Thomas J Derrick

The article discusses the ancient plant silphium, its historical use by Romans and Greeks as a contraceptive, abortifacient, and medicinal herb, and its eventual extinction. It explores theories about its disappearance, including overharvesting, climate change, and failed cultivation attempts, while noting modern conservation concerns for related species.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ancient-romans-obsessed-contraception-aphrodisiac.…

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0%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 95%
Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

22 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

schedule Pending 12
help Insufficient Evidence 7
verified Verified By Reference 2
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“Ancient Romans were obsessed with a plant said to be a contraception and an aphrodisiac.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in cross-references, web search, or Wikipedia to confirm the claim about Ancient Romans using a contraceptive/aphrodisiac plant.
info
“Roman leader Julius Caesar is said to have kept a stock of it in the treasury.”
SINGLE SOURCE
Only one cross-reference from The Conversation supports the claim about Julius Caesar storing silphium in the treasury. Wikipedia entries do not confirm this specific detail.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Julius Caesar, the Roman dictator, was assassinated on the Ides of March (15 March), 44 BC, by a group of senators during a Senate session at the Curia of Pompey, located within the Theatre of Pompey …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Julius_Caesar
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Gaius Julius Caesar (; Latin: [ˈɡaːiʊs ˈjuːliʊs ˈkae̯sar]; c. 140 BC – 85 BC) was a Roman senator, a supporter of his brother-in-law, Gaius Marius, and the father of Roman statesman Julius Caesar.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaius_Julius_Caesar_(governor_…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general, statesman, and author who was the dictator of the Roman Republic almost continuously from 49 BC until his assassination…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Caesar
+ 1 more evidence source
verified
“Ancient writer Pliny the Elder says Rome's Emperor Nero owned the last stalk of it.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia entries about Nero, Pliny the Younger, and Tiberius do not mention silphium or Nero possessing its last stalk.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( NEER-oh; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68) was a Roman emperor and the final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reignin…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nero
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus (born Gaius Caecilius or Gaius Caecilius Cilo; 61 – c. 113), better known in English as Pliny the Younger ( PLIN-ee), was a lawyer, author, and magistrate of Ancient R…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pliny_the_Younger
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus ( ty-BEER-ee-əs; 16 November 42 BC – 16 March AD 37) was Roman emperor from AD 14 until 37. He succeeded his stepfather Augustus, the first Roman emperor. Tiberius was …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiberius
help
“Some have suggested rampant extramarital sex in elite Roman circles led to demand outstripping supply, and it dying out altogether.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in cross-references, web search, or Wikipedia to confirm the claim about extramarital sex causing silphium's extinction.
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“Silphium: an extinct plant that once grew wild in modern-day Libya.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in cross-references, web search, or Wikipedia to confirm silphium's native region as modern-day Libya.
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“Used for contraception and abortion, medicine, food seasoning, perfume and as a livestock improver, its special properties made this herb one of the most precious commodities in Graeco-Roman antiquity.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in cross-references, web search, or Wikipedia to confirm silphium's uses as a contraceptive, abortifacient, or livestock improver.
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“Silphium is often described these days as an aphrodisiac, despite no ancient source confirming this.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in cross-references, web search, or Wikipedia to confirm modern claims of silphium as an aphrodisiac or lack of ancient confirmation.
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“Some of the earliest depictions of silphium are of the plant's heart-shaped seedpod, which may be the source of this association.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in cross-references, web search, or Wikipedia to confirm depictions of silphium's heart-shaped seedpod.
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“Depictions on coins and figurines have led modern botanists to wonder if silphium was related to modern wild giant fennels (from the genus Ferula).”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in cross-references, web search, or Wikipedia to confirm botanists' speculation about silphium's relation to Ferula.
verified
“Depictions of silphium next to gazelles (another product of Libya) suggest typical ancient silphium stalks were around 30cm in height.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia entries about Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greek, and Ancient history do not mention silphium's height or association with gazelles.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Ancient history is a time period from the beginning of writing and recorded human history through late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the development of…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_history
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Ancient Egypt was a cradle of civilization concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in the eastern corner of North Africa. It emerged from prehistoric Egypt around 3150 BC (according to …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Egypt
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Ancient Greek (Ἑλληνική, Hellēnikḗ [hellɛːnikɛ́ː]) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greek
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“Resin was extracted from the plant's stems and roots and preserved in flour, which allowed it to make the journey from Libya to further shores.”
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“The Romans called this resin laser or laserpicium. The best laserpicium was extracted from the root, but an inferior type could also come from the stem.”
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“The Greeks also used silphium; it was so central to some regional economies that it was a frequently depicted motif on coins.”
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“The Greeks seemingly did not harvest silphium themselves; they were given it as tribute by Libyan tribes who lived with it and knew how to harvest and prepare it.”
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“Silphium is frequently mentioned in ancient medical treatises and was often administered through food.”
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“In Ancient Graeco-Roman medicine, silphium was considered a 'windy' food that could clear the body of obstructions causing ill health.”
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“Soranus of Ephesus's four-volume text on gynecology, written around the 1st-2nd century CE, suggests various strong-tasting herbs and spices (including silphium) could be mixed with wine or simple foods for oral contraception.”
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“Silphium resisted human cultivation, and as such, there was a finite supply.”
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“Climatic changes and the desertification of the north coast of Africa may have led to the plant's extinction.”
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“The Romans believed silphium was extinct in the 1st century CE, but it may have continued in local use and consumption until the 5th century CE.”
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“In 2021, a new species of giant fennel (Ferula drudeana) was identified around former Greek settlements in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey).”
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“Many species of giant fennel occur across the Mediterranean and surrounding regions, but due to many outlets falsely reporting its aphrodisiac qualities (particularly for treating erectile dysfunction), there are growing conservation concerns about modern over-harvesting.”
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info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.