Wool as Ancient Roman Birth Control
A Roman woman ties a wad of wool around her cervix—birth control, first century style.
Wool as Ancient Roman Birth Control, public domain
Wool, Honey, and Vinegar
A Roman woman ties a wad of wool around her cervix—birth control, first century style. Real medical advice, not folk magic.
Soranus’ Directions
Soranus of Ephesus, the top Roman gynecologist, recommended soft wool soaked in honey, vinegar, or cedar oil—inserted as a physical barrier to stop pregnancy. His instructions survive in a second-century text.
No pills, no latex, just wool. Ancient Roman medical texts describe women inserting a soft ball of wool soaked with honey, cedar oil, or vinegar to block conception. Soranus of Ephesus, a leading gynecologist from the second century CE, recommended this method in his treatise on women’s health.
