Misconception #8: Caesarian C-Section Is Named After Julius Caesar

Every time I used to hear of the term Caesarean (C)-section, something in the back of my mind instantly related that to Julius Caesar - the famous Roman dictator, but I had not done my homework of looking into the topic and finding the link, if there is one..

So I decided today that i will indulge into this topic, and see what I can find while looking towards the true origins of the term Caesarian Section.

But first, let us give few definitions:

What is a Caesarian or C-Section?

In short, C-section as most of you would probably know, is a medical procedure used to bring out a child to life, at birth moment, without the natural pathway of the Vagina for delivery. As found in wikipedia, definition is as follows:

Caesarean section, also known as C-section or caesarean delivery, is the use of surgery to deliver one or more babies. A caesarean section is often performed when a vaginal delivery would put the baby or mother at risk.

Who is Julius Caesar?

Julius Caesar is a Roman dictator who lived in the era 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC, and quite known for giving rise to the Roman Empire. Per wikipedia

Julius Caesar, was a Roman politician and general who played a critical role in the events that led to the demise of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire

How do they relate?

Not to my shock, the internet is filled with this rumor, that C-section got its name after Julius Caesar, hence the term Caesarian Section. But how do they relate?

The claim is that, Julius Caesar was the first to be brought to life through cutting open his mother's abdomen to extract him, after her death on the 9th month.
This statement is attributed to the historical encyclopedia, The Suda, which states:

For when his [Julius Caesar] mother died in the ninth month, they cut her open, took him out…
The process of cutting open the mother is quite similar to our current day C-section, yes with the difference that this was conducted "after his mother" passed away.

Now, was he really the first to be born this way?

The C-section process was in fact a law entitled "Lex Caesarea" which was established by Numa Pompilius, the second king of Rome, 715-673 BC, several hundreds years before Julius Caesar was born. The law instated that any pregnant woman cannot be buried as pregnant, and hence her child needs to be extracted from her before the burial.
So Julius Caesar was definitely not the first born via such a procedure.

A step further: was he REALLY born this way?

The fact is that, Julius Caesar's mother, known as 'Aurelia Cotta', is recorded to have lived long enough during the reign of her son, and even stated to have outlived him. You can check a quick brief of her life in Reference 3 below.

The truth?

The most acceptable theory, relies in looking into the etymology of the Latin word cut "caedo", whose past participle is "caesus", and hence is believed to be the true origin for naming the procedure since it involves cutting open the dead mother. The name "Caesar" itself, the first of whom (definitely not Julius either) is theorized to have also been named after the verb, and not the other way around!

So there you have it!

Hope you enjoyed this exploration and information as much as I did.

If you'd like for me to research the origins of the "Caesar Salad" - which kinda also reminds of me Julius Caesar, do let me know in the comments below! .. as that is another intriguing question I have that I might just attempt on my next post.

Thank you for stopping by!
@mcfarhat

From this series:

If you enjoyed this post, you might want to check out my earlier posts from the "Misconceptions" series:

References:

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