Pox romana : the plague that shook the Roman world / Colin Elliott.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Elliott, Colin P., 1982- author.

Series:

Turning points in ancient history ; Volume 11.

Turning points in ancient history series ; Volume 11

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Plague--Rome--History--2nd century.

Plague.

Rome (Empire).

Genre:

History.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xxiv, 304 pages) : illustrations, maps

Edition:

First edition.

Other Title:

Plague that shook the Roman world

Place of Publication:

Princeton, New Jersey : Princeton University Press, [2024]

Summary:

In the middle of the second century AD, Rome was at its prosperous and powerful apex. The emperor Marcus Aurelius reigned over a vast territory that stretched from Britain to Egypt. The Roman-made peace, or Pax Romana, seemed to be permanent. Then, apparently out of nowhere, a sudden sickness struck the legions and laid waste to cities, including Rome itself. This fast-spreading disease, now known as the Antonine plague, may have been history’s first pandemic. Soon after its arrival, the Empire began its downward trajectory toward decline and fall. In Pox Romana, historian Colin Elliott offers a comprehensive, wide-ranging account of this pivotal moment in Roman history. Did a single disease—its origins and diagnosis still a mystery—bring Rome to its knees? Carefully examining all the available evidence, Elliott shows that Rome’s problems were more insidious. Years before the pandemic, the thin veneer of Roman peace and prosperity had begun to crack: the economy was sluggish, the military found itself bogged down in the Balkans and the Middle East, food insecurity led to riots and mass migration, and persecution of Christians intensified. The pandemic exposed the crumbling foundations of a doomed Empire. Arguing that the disease was both cause and effect of Rome’s fall, Elliott describes the plague’s “preexisting conditions” (Rome’s multiple economic, social, and environmental susceptibilities); recounts the history of the outbreak itself through the experiences of physician, victim, and political operator; and explores postpandemic crises. The pandemic’s most transformative power, Elliott suggests, may have been its lingering presence as a threat both real and perceived.

"A new account of the Antonine plague and its long-lasting effects on the history of the Roman empire"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Foreword

Introduction: A Furious Beginning

Part I: Preexisting Conditions. 1. Rome's Fragile Peace ; 2. The Dry Tinder of Disease ; 3. Rumors of Death

Part II: Outbreak. 4. Plague Unleashed ; 5. The Age of Angst ; 6. An Empire Exhausted

Part III. Casualties. 7. Redux? ; 8. The End of an Era

Epilogue: The Spirit of Pandemic.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Description based on print version record.

Other Format:

Print version: Elliott, Colin Pox Romana

ISBN:

9780691220697

0691220697

OCLC:

1373237691