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Research Guides

Pandemics

If CORVID-19 has you thinking about pandemics, this guide will get you started in researching to epidemics of the past.

Overview

This unknown disease (possibly smallpox or measles) was brought back to Rome from Mesopotamia by returning soldiers. It would spread across Asia Minor, Egypt, Greece and Italy, claiming at least 5 million lives.

Resources

Ancient History Encyclopedia article
The Antonine Plague, Climate Change and Local Violence in Roman Egypt
How Climate Change and Plague Helped Bring Down the Roman Empire