[The Antonine plague: A global pestilence in the II century d.C]

Rev Chilena Infectol. 2016 Apr;33(2):218-21. doi: 10.4067/S0716-10182016000200011.
[Article in Spanish]

Abstract

The Antonine plague was the first plague affecting globally the Western world. It affected all aspects of life of mankind in the Roman Empire: economics, politics, religion and the culture. The especialists set the mortality rate in the 10% of the population. On the other hand the existence of unified Roman Empire from culturally and territorially helped to spreading the plague as it could similarly occur in our society in a similar pandemic. In conclusion, it is argued that the epidemic was global in a sense of the geographical extension and the effects this had on the population.

Publication types

  • Historical Article

MeSH terms

  • History, Ancient
  • Humans
  • Pandemics / history*
  • Roman World / history*
  • Smallpox / history*
  • Socioeconomic Factors