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Document Details : Title: Revisiting Ancient Pandemics Subtitle: Papyrus Evidence and the Broader Impact of Disease Outbreaks in the Roman World Author(s): HUEBNER, Sabine R. , BALDIN, Sara Journal: Ancient Society Volume: 55 Date: 2025 Pages: 233-280 DOI: 10.2143/AS.55.0.3295049 Abstract : This study aims to advance the ongoing discussion concerning the role and value of papyrological sources in reconstructing the history of pandemics that affected the Mediterranean and Northwestern Europe during the Roman period, extending from the late first century BCE through the sixth century CE. The article provides an overview of the current historiographical landscape, examining the methodological complexities involved in aligning papyrological data with literary evidence. Utilizing palaeographic analysis and corroborative dating techniques, the research reexamines private letters, death registrations, petitions, and mummy labels, revealing previously overlooked references to pestilential disease. Despite fragmentary and regionally biased evidence, the findings indicate that while major pandemics known from literary sources possibly had profound effects, smaller-scale regional outbreaks also significantly influenced the social, economic, and administrative structures of Roman Egypt. |
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